Describes the introduction and evaluation of the effectiveness of a single group project given at a new university, and 10 individual tasks at an ancient university, to devise appropriate and relevant assessments for first-year service mathematics courses for science and engineering. Studies the effects of these tasks on attitudes toward…

Describes a program for students' first college chemistry course that used journal articles as a source for writing laboratory reports. Provides specific examples and discusses assessment of student work and student and faculty responses. (Contains 14 references.) (ASK)

In promoting and operating experiential education programs, educators must ask: Who is accountable to whom? How can accountability be measured? and How can accountability information be used? The perspectives of internal and external stakeholders must inform program assessment. (SK)

Summary of a speech by Paul R. Lehman regarding the "National Standards for Arts Education," the standards movement, and the impact of standards on music research and teaching. Includes comments on Ohio's "Comprehensive Arts Education: Ohio's Art Model Competency" standards. Discusses the development of national standards,…

Canberra Institute of Technology implemented a project to improve assessment using teacher-developed action research. Outcomes included a shift in teaching perspectives and pedagogical assumptions and the establishment of a culture of concern for high-quality assessment. (SK)

Discusses ways to assess how well team organizations are functioning and contributing to the total operation of the middle schools that use team structures. Considers whether teaching teams determine course content, and school support for teams; also considers teacher training in team operations and the level of understanding and commitment…

Examines the administrative and organizational practices in a selected group of secondary vocational schools in Turkey from the point of view of school administrators, teachers, and industrial managers. Finds that the Turkish vocational education system is characterized by a centralized, top-down bureaucracy, which inhibits innovative capacity.…

Asserts that the recent emphasis on quality assurance in higher education, particularly with its sometimes confusing mixture of components, can do a disservice to effective education. (EV)

Studied basic professional demographic information about school district assessment coordinators and determined the current professional development and training needs of local district assessment coordinators in Washington state through surveys completed by 109 (37% of the sample) Washington assessment coordinators. Results show many differences…

Two school districts in Washington State are seeing fundamental shifts in the learning process by using technology as a tool to support data-centric instruction. An effective student-assessment strategy includes comprehensive information about student progress, analysis of assessment information so specific instructional strategies can be…

Why the standard error must serve as a standard against which educational gains are measured is discussed from a policy analysis perspective, considering technical and policy levels. An online discussion of the issues in the use of the standard error is transcribed and attached. (SLD)

Health care providers now have collective responsibility for clinical outcomes, so professional continuing education should emphasize collaborative generation and application of knowledge. Continuing education professionals should act as performance consultants implementing the principles of organizational learning that, combined with individual…

Discusses the history of educational testing in Canada in the 1990s and the failure of provincial governments to give meaning to school accountability. Uses Winnipeg's Glenlawn Collegiate High School as an example of a school that assessed its own performance honestly by talking to students and graduates, then drew on findings to initiate needed…

Discusses the contrast between assessing achievement for samples of students and the high-stakes testing of all students. High stakes tests can entail harmful direct effects for some individuals and harmful side effects for others. Discusses student engagement in school as a key element of effective schooling. (SLD)

Describes rationale and attributes of local assessment program to augment statewide testing programs. Describes several steps to develop and implement a local assessment program, including setting priorities and goals, meeting with state officials, developing budgets and funding sources, forming development teams, providing professional…