Realschulen (secondary schools) in Baden-Wurttemberg now permit a reading comprehension test, plus dictation, for the graduation examination in FL, instead of the traditional translation. The test is described: Part A tests receptive skills, Part B reproductive-productive. Suggestions are given on content and conducting tests. (Text is in German.)…

Minnesota Statute 120B.365 established an Assessment Advisory Committee to advise the commissioner on statewide assessment issues. The committee may consist of up to 11 members. The Committee will make recommendations to the commissioner and/or the legislature about issues involving statewide assessment. This report briefly provides a background…

The primary purpose of this study was to identify potential sources of gender differential item bias (DIF) in a high school exit examination composed of both selected-response and constructed-response items in the content areas of English, social studies, mathematics, and biology. A secondary purpose was to determine the agreement between the…

Are private schools superior to public schools? This report presents the numbers, analyzes the arguments, and concludes that the answer is "no." All things being equal, a good school is a good school, whether it is public or private. The report provides information about school demography, school characteristics, student achievement, teachers and…

This booklet provides parents and students with answers to their questions about ISTEP+ (Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus), which measures tenth-grade student achievement in English/language arts and mathematics. After a letter from Suellen Reed, Indiana's Superintendent of Public Instruction, the booklet discusses what…

This document presents results for students in the Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS), North Carolina, on the North Carolina Tests of Computer Skills. In 1991, North Carolina established a computer proficiency requirement for graduation, which is now effective for the class of 2001. Beginning in 1967, eighth graders were to have at least one…

This bulletin answers questions concerning grading, graduation requirements, and awarding of diplomas to students with disabilities in Montana. Presented in a question-and-answer format, the guide is based upon letters from the Office of Special Education Programs and Office for Civil Rights concerning the interpretation of federal statutes.…

This paper discusses the development of the Basic Skills Model, a theoretical framework that has enabled North Carolina educators to propose to the Department of Public Instruction the development of a curriculum for high school juniors and seniors with disabilities. The curriculum is designed to enable students to gain the necessary skills to…

This book focuses on three court rulings affecting mandatory high-school community service. It examines the rationale, functioning, and outcomes of high-school community-service programs and addresses the significant legal aspects of community service. It also analyzes court opinions and related legislation on community service and points out some…

This bulletin sets forth the results of a study of requirements for high-school graduation. It is believed that graduation requirements constitute a better index to a school's objectives than curriculum offerings, for if a subject is required for graduation, it must be studied, without regard to the pupil's desire. One of the important…

The first decade of education reform in Massachusetts focused on setting--for the first time--rigorous, statewide academic standards, establishing high-quality tests tied to those standards, and successfully implementing a graduation requirement staked to minimally acceptable skills. Substantial new state funding provided support for the goals of…

An Alabama local development district is sponsoring 60 half-hour TV programs designed to help adults get the equivalent of a high school diploma. (Author/KM)

This article questions whether the requirement of a 2.5 grade point average for admission to teacher education programs or for certification will improve teaching. Data from the Emporia (Kansas) Master Teacher Awards program show that of teachers receiving the award, 36 percent had lower than a 2.5 average in college. (PP)

Describes a 1981 national survey of art education. Statistics include bachelor's degrees granted in art education in 1979-80, number of art teachers employed, and time allotments for elementary and secondary school art programs. Impact of state standards for art instruction and structure of art teacher training programs are discussed. (CS)

Since school dropouts who receive the General Education Diploma are discriminated against because they do not possess a standard high school diploma, a plan is presented that recognizes such discrimination and provides a process for making standard diplomas available to dropouts in special education and general categories of intelligence. (MH)