Describes North Carolina's school readiness program, including definition, family and community support, and assessment. Reports findings and recommendations from the North Carolina school readiness assessment, focusing on condition of children and capacity of schools. (PKP)

As an overview to the special issue, this article discusses the following: levels at which assessment occurs; components of assessment plans; roles and responsibilities of faculty, coordinators, committees, and administrators; types of assessment measures; and factors to consider in choosing measures. (Contains 25 references.) (SK)

Idaho's second largest school district adopted a computerized version of the achievement tests it had been using in paper-and-pencil form for students of grades 3-12. Two of the most significant benefits of the computer-based testing program are the timeliness of the data and the ability to monitor student progress. The district worked closely…

Asserts that only by evaluating the effectiveness of distance education programs can their use be justified and their quality improved. Discusses how to conduct formative and summative evaluations of distance education programs. (EV)

Comments on new Elementary Secondary Education Act, particularly the bill's national testing and school-choice provisions. (PKP)

Standardized tests cover acquired knowledge in reading, mathematics, and English. To avoid misuse of standardized tests school districts should use tests to diagnose individual learning needs and improve programs; and administer tests once a year in the fall semester so results help guide learning plans for students Contains a glossary of basic…

Discusses the use of distance education for preservice, inservice, and continuing-teacher training; reviews quality assessment (examination and impact studies), conditions for the development of quality (internal and external constraints), and quality assurance systems; and provides examples of quality distance-education programs for teachers in…

Describes how computer-aided assessment can provide a means of preserving formative assessment within the curriculum at a fraction of the time-cost involved with written work. Illustrates a variety of computer-aided assessment styles. (Author/ASK)

Claims that assessment is the process by which educators know if they are actually doing what they intend to do in the classroom. Presents an overview of the history, the present, and the future of educational assessment to enable readers working with communication assessment issues to make more informed decisions. (NH)

A follow-up study interviewed Head Start parents and children after their transition to public schools. Interview responses indicated that parents felt Head Start contributed to their children's overall development and readiness for school, helped their children with special needs, and improved parents' own knowledge and skills. (SD)

Studied the validity of alternative methods for assessing the spelling achievements of students in grades 2 through 7. Results from 760 third graders, 721 fifth graders, and 639 seventh graders indicate that no single objective format stood out above the others, although some demonstrated superiority to the dictation format on several dimensions.…

Uses suggestions and guidelines from a number of sources to present, in light of current assessment demands and contemporary theories of learning and motivation, 11 basic principles to guide the assessment training and professional development of teachers and administrators. (SLD)

Describes one Illinois school district's efforts to develop multiple school and student performance measures that go beyond standardized test scores. (PKP)

When California set out nearly 10 years ago to reduce class sizes in the early grades, educators nationwide looked West with awe and envy at the ambitious move to ease the task of teaching millions of the state's youngest students. In this article, the author examines the effects of California's class-size reduction program. State Superintendent…

This chapter discusses multiple challenges and pathways to address the margins of adult education and poses question for future consideration.