The view of learning that underlies standard test theory is inconsistent with the view rapidly emerging from cognitive and educational psychology. Learners become more competent not simply by learning more facts and skills, but by reconfiguring their knowledge; by "chunking" information to reduce memory loads; and by developing…

This brief paper reports on the results of the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment in U.S. history for grades 4, 8, and 12. The themes addressed in the assessment were intended to ensure that all major branches of historical study were covered and that emphasis on various areas was balanced. Themes include: (1)…

This book reports on the 1994 National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment in geography for grades 4, 8, and 12. Students performance is summarized on a scale ranging from 0 to 500 with the achievement levels of Basic, Proficient and Advanced for each grade. Major findings for the nation include: (1) The Proficient level was…

This digest describes some basics of the construction of multiple-choice tests. As a rule, the test maker should strive for test item stems (introductory questions or incomplete statements at the beginning of each item that are followed by the options) that are clear and parsimonious, answers that are unequivocal and chosen by the students who do…

As more and more people conclude that existing schools are not doing a very good job, the national movement toward school reform gains momentum. The new school requires a new principal, one who behaves and leads differently than administrators in the past. The new principal, regardless of the school's grade level, has a tight grip on the realities…

Educational reformers have come to recognize that establishing more challenging standards and assessments is not enough to raise student achievement. This brief identifies five challenges that confront educators and policymakers as they develop higher standards and other policies and structures to support improved student and teacher learning. It…

This report describes the attitudes of school superintendents in Kentucky about the implementation of school reforms based on the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA); this survey also investigated changes in the perceptions of superintendents over the previous year related to the policies, programs, and practices of KERA. The study was…

This report describes what schools and educators across Kentucky are doing to implement school reform in school-based decision-making based on the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA). The School-Based Decision Making (SBDM) component of KERA is a decentralized governance structure that vests great authority in SBDM councils operating at…

The collaborative efforts of the Council of Chief State School Officers and the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory have resulted in the State Student Assessment Program (SSAP) database. Information is collected annually about student assessment programs in each state, both in the area of traditional testing and in nontraditional…

This brief report highlights the findings of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment of geography conducted with students in grades 4, 8, and 12 in 1994. Major findings include: (1) the average score of students in grade 4 was 206, 260 in grade 8, and 285 in grade 12 on a scale from 0 to 500 with achievement levels of…

This booklet provides questions and answers that point to the increasing interest that states have in developing, shaping, and evaluating the success of schools. The booklet highlights the analysis and recommendations of representatives of 10 states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New…

This guide helps parents understand how schools assess their child's English language ability and suggests ways for them to help schools place their children in the most useful language program. All districts must decide which students to test, and then how to test them. Some schools attempt to find out the English skills of all students, and…

In education, the term restructuring is as notable for its ambiguity as for its meaning. This book draws from more than 600 sources across a wide spectrum of perspectives regarding restructuring. It provides a picture of many of the trends and issues in school restructuring and attempts to place these issues into a context that helps explain where…

The fourth edition of this reference guide contains information on thousands of assessment instruments published by 221 publishers and available for use by psychologists, educators, and human resources personnel. The assessments described are organized according to a system of primary classification and cross referencing intended to make the…

What does it mean to be a "good" school district? What are the actions needed to establish a culture of continuous and long-term improvement? This document was written for school and district leaders interested in exploring how to frame and understand accountability for quality. It explores what it really means for a school district to hold itself…