The report of the National Academy of Education (NAE), "Setting Performance Standards for Student Achievement," provides an interpretation of NAE investigations into the procedures surrounding establishment of achievement levels for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAE report synthesizes the investigations of…

In response to recent national reports on educational excellence and effective schools, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges commissioned research and recommendations for possible standards and policy revision or implementation in three areas: (1) student conduct and attendance; (2) length of the student day/year and more effectively…

Techniques such as the norm-referenced and average score techniques, commonly used in the identification of educationally disadvantaged students, are critiqued. This study applied latent trait theory, specifically the Rasch Model, along with teacher judgments relative to the mastery of instructional/test decisions, to derive a standard setting…

This paper describes the meeting of the Reading and Writing Advisory Committee of the New Jersey Basic Skills Council with selected high school English teachers and administrators. This panel established cut scores for statewide interpretation of the New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Test (NJCBSPT). The NJCBSPT is administered to all…

Commissioned by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to assess the status of data collection activities in the museum community, this report reinforces recommendations made by a similar 1998 study, addressing the need for systematic data collection to inform public policy and museum management decision-making. The report examines a…

While many institutions have utilized TOEFL scores for international admissions for many years, a speaking section has never before been a required part of TOEFL until the development of the iBT/Next Generation TOEFL. So institutions will need to determine how to set standards for the speaking section of TOEFL, also known as TOEFL Academic…

This standards review is the second in a series of annual reviews of the Colorado Model Content Standards. Its purpose is to identify student performance over time on measures of existing science standards, identify ways to affirm and strengthen standards and more clearly articulate the practices used by Colorado schools to promote student…

This paper examines reasons why personnel policy and wage setting differ between traditional public, private, and charter schools and the effects of these policies on academic measures of teacher quality. Survey and administrative data suggest that the regulatory freedom, small size of wage-setting units, and a competitive market environment make…

Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are used to provide a report on moving student achievement toward the standards set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). These standards established broad goals about what students should know and should be able to do in mathematics from kindergarten through…

In November 1991, the State Librarian (Michigan) established a committee to review and revise the standards of service for the blind and physically handicapped. These revised standards define the general responsibilities of Michigan subregional libraries to their regional libraries and their borrowers. Responsibilities cover basic services such as…

Methods that might be used to establish standards of performance that will permit the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to classify candidate teachers as highly accomplished (worthy of National Board certification) or less than highly accomplished (not worthy of certification) are contrasted. Plans for research on these issues are…

Title I of the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA) of 1994 provides funds for schools with large concentrations of children from low-income families. A fundamental requirement is that children served by Title I funds must be educated according to the same academic standards as all other students. This handbook focuses on methods for developing…

In support of the National Education Goals of 1990, the Goals Panel convened a Technical Planning Group to offer background guidance for the National Council on Education and Standards in its task of establishing world-class academic standards for the United States. Recommendations of the Planning Group consider two types of content standards:…

Because of concerns about the validity of tests used in education and employment, a consultation on June 16, 1989, focused on tests of ability, achievement, and other skills. Invited experts were asked to address a set of issues common to both education and employment testing, primarily related to test construction procedures and how to establish…

In September 1991, the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) announced standards for basic, proficient, and advanced achievement in mathematics and reported that few American students had reached these standards. Expert reviewers noted technical problems with the NAGB approach and questioned its results. In this report, the NAGB…