This report, an update to the first edition published in 1995, addresses policymakers' concerns regarding "high performance" and provides a model for institutions assessing their effectiveness. Chapters 1 and 5 discuss the changing context in which colleges operate and present new directions in assessment. Chapters 2 through 4 provide a…

The use of young children's art work in the assessment of reading readiness was studied through a qualitative research design. Subjects were 12 transitional-first-grade students from an elementary school, each of whom was treated as a case study. Artwork was collected from each child each month of the school year and reading levels were recorded.…

Oregon's School Improvement and Professional Development Program (SIPD) was created to: (1) assist local district goal achievement; (2) establish site committees to initiate school improvement and shared decision making; and (3) provide professional development opportunities. The following outcomes are evaluated in this report: development of…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as "The Nation's Report Card," is a congressionally mandated survey of educational achievement of American students in a variety of curriculum areas and of changes in that achievement across time. Part 1 of this report consists of the results of NAEP's 1990 national…

The Institutional Self-Assessment Measure (ISAM) is presented, which was designed to aid local agency program managers and staff members in planning and improving implementation of competency-based education (CBE) programs. It is a structured tool to be used with the support of a trained ISAM facilitator to enhance communication among staff…

The Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary Students-Primary Version (SAGES-P) developed by S. K. Johnsen and A. L. Corn (1992) is a reliable and valid instrument for the identification of young gifted children. The SAGES-P addresses the U.S. Department of Education's guidelines for the identification of young gifted children. The items were…

The New Standards Project is a partnership of 17 states and 6 major school districts that have joined to develop alternative approaches to setting educational standards and assessing student achievement. In the New Standards Project plan, formal standard setting occurs through a process of public examination of student work products on pilot…

This report presents results of several studies of the effectiveness of special education. Major findings of a review of other studies indicate: youth with learning disabilities tend to have the highest rate of employment (71 percent) followed by youth with speech handicaps or mild mental retardation (50-60 percent). Postsecondary educational…

A major statewide survey was conducted to establish comprehensive, baseline information regarding arts education in the public school districts of Arizona. This report documents the findings and serves as a standard against which to measure future changes as well as a guide or starting point for responsible planning in order to effect intelligent,…

Findings of a study that examined the situation in which minority students in an advanced arts and sciences high school program received low or failing grades are presented in this paper. Students who had been good students in their home schools received low or failing grades in the mathematics and science program at the Center for the Arts and…

This booklet presents information on how total quality management can be applied to school systems to create educational improvement. Total quality management offers education a systemic approach and a new set of assessment tools. Chapter 1 provides a definition and historical overview of total quality management. Chapter 2 views the school…

This paper reports on research that was designed to produce a limited number of assessment standards judged by experts as the most important standards in the practice of quality assessment in undergraduate higher education. The study collected the opinions of a group of national assessment experts and employed a modification of the Delphi…

This document summarizes discussions held at a conference of the National Institute on the Assessment of Experiential Learning, which is concerned with prior learning assessment (PLA), a process developed for awarding college-level credit for out-of-class experiences. The conference consisted of two tracks, beginning and advanced; this format…

This primer is designed to provide a step-by-step guide for state policymakers and state agency officials interested in assessing the literacy skills of the people of their state. Chapter 1 describes the importance of assessing the literacy skills in each state. Literacy is discussed as an economic necessity, a requirement for a healthy democracy,…

This monograph presents six papers that analyze the current state of research and practice in continuing professional education. Papers address: (1) the problems confronting effective research and policymaking presented by the diverse and unorganized nature of the continuing professional education enterprise; (2) what is known concerning the…