Findings of a study that evaluated the effectiveness of the Minnesota Education Effectiveness Program (MEEP) are presented in this report. MEEP is a school-based program designed to improve the Minnesota educational system and is facilitated through ongoing staff development processes. The participating schools are supported by a statewide network…

An overview of national and international research on school effectiveness is provided in this paper. Following an introduction, the first section examines some national studies, with a focus on the differences in empirical evidence for effective school factors. These studies are similar in that they are outcome-oriented, seek factors of school…

While no one instrument can accurately evaluate or assess every college or university debate program, two separate frameworks can be established based in forensics and assessment literature. The first framework is a descriptive/analytic/evaluative framework for a debate program based on the philosophies of the several national conferences on…

The Quality Assurance Directorate of the New South Wales (Australia) Department of School Education is developing a series of Best Practices descriptor statements to help define discussions on school development. A wide range of performance indicators are being discussed among educators worldwide. Reporting of performance indicators needs to be…

This semiannual assessment report examines the multidimensional performance evaluation system for Washington State's public postsecondary institutions. It discusses the use of assessment information to improve undergraduate education at each of the state's four-year universities and colleges, and describes the 1993-95 assessment plans for these…

The first purpose of this study was to investigate the stability of two essential dimensionality measures across 10 random samples within a particular assessment item (AT1) selection. Other purposes were to investigate the discrepancy of the essential unidimensionality estimates for a test across different AT1 selections and sample sizes and to…

This report presents the findings of a project whose purpose was to conduct a complete survey of the various states to determine the existence and content of state mandates and competency statements as they relate to economic literacy, and more specifically, how "Our Economy: How It Works," meets these mandates and competency statements.…

Schoolwide action research involves the actors in a school continuously and systematically studying their school, analyzing the information gathered, and using it to work toward improvement. Action research can involve collecting data over several years, such as the cumulative effects of schooling, or over shorter periods of time to evaluate…

The Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century was passed to restructure the public school system to address past shortcomings and to prepare for the future. The act provided a blueprint for 10 task forces appointed by the Superintendent for Public Instruction to explore ways to initiate and implement reform. This report contains summaries of…

A multi-method approach to the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was investigated for the purpose of developing an assessment model that could detect the subjects' level of functioning within Mirsky's (1987) four phases of attention and to determine if the primary distractors were by auditory, visual, or combined stimuli.…

For six national education goals, the major objectives, significant issues and questions concerning measuring/monitoring the nation's/states' progress toward meeting these goals, a list of resource group membership, and an abstract of resource group interim reports are provided. The National Education Goals Panel--six governors, four members of…

Data from research studies seem to support the validity of teacher judgments of student achievement; however, there are unresolved issues, including the focus of the judgment, the external validity or credibility of the assessment, and the process of the assessment itself. To achieve maximum benefits from this form of assessment/teaching…

Findings from a study that explored the motivations of legislators to oversee and control program implementation are presented in this paper. Implementation is viewed as a contract between the legislative and executive branches with legislators acting as monitors who use oversight to control the agencies contracted to implement policy. A total of…

Findings from a study to examine the relationship between school climate factors and student achievement in the Austin Independent School District are presented in this executive summary. Factor and regression analyses were used to analyze data from a survey of all public school professionals in the district. Findings suggested that differences in…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is briefly described. The NAEP was designed in 1969 as a voluntary cooperative program to answer questions about education nationally. In 1988, the NAEP was defined as a means of improving the effectiveness of the nation's schools by making objective information available about student…