A study was conducted of the early childhood programs in the McAllen (Texas) Independent School District. This qualitative study used data collected through observations, interviews, document analysis, questionnaires, and site visits. Current practices were described and compared to developmentally appropriate practices as defined by the National…

The stages of development and reporting of a statewide needs assessment about inservice teacher education that was conducted with educators in Alabama during the 1992-93 school year are described. The first phase was development of a pilot instrument by focus groups. The instrument was tested with 559 workshop participants, and the final…

This report on European developments in infant and toddler care services was prepared to help define issues and options for the improvement and expansion of infant and toddler care and family support systems in the United States. Introductory comments suggest that advanced industrialized countries have almost unanimously elected universal but…

English and Spanish versions of a guide to testing reform are presented. The guide explains alternatives to standardized testing for educational assessment and shows how these new methods of evaluation will improve education. Standardized tests are used for an increasing number of purposes in the school system, but there is no proof that their use…

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data for 9-, 13-, and 17-year-old students in the United States are provided, highlighting trends in science achievement from 1969-70 to 1990, mathematics achievement from 1973 to 1990, reading achievement from 1971 to 1990, and writing achievement from 1984 to 1990. Trends in academic proficiency…

Support services provided for special education in the Des Moines (Iowa) Independent Community School District (DMICSD) were evaluated. The context evaluation, input evaluation, process evaluation, product evaluation, and future planning of the support services are described. The DMICSD employs physical therapists, occupational therapists,…

Standardized tests often produce results that are inaccurate, inconsistent, and biased against minority, female, and low-income students. Such tests shift control and authority into the hands of the unregulated testing industry and can undermine school achievement by narrowing the curriculum, frustrating teachers, and driving students out of…

The focus-group interview format was used to investigate the existence, interrelationship, perceived strengths, and indicators of insufficiency in the implementation of the Career Ladders (CL) teacher-incentive program in a rural Arizona school district. Two interviews were planned for each of the following groups: school board members; CL…

A declaration for achieving universal basic education adopted by the World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, Thailand, as it relates to Latin America is discussed in this paper. The document then offers an examination of educational expansion in Latin America, a discussion of disproportionate educational budget cuts, and an analysis of…

Designed to help governors assess state and national progress in education, this fourth and final report of a series summarizes what has transpired since 1986 in the following areas of education reform through the recommendations of the seven task forces that were addressed in "Time for Results: The Governors' 1991 Report on Education": (1) school…

The Vision 2000 program was initiated in 1988 to review the mandate of Ontario's Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. Five study teams and a steering committee were involved in the program. Study Team 1's task was to provide an empirical snapshot of the current college system and its external environment. At the outset of its work, Study Team…

A study was conducted to examine the feasibility of using scores on the districts' standardized norm-referenced tests (NRTs) to predict performance on Florida's State Student Assessment Tests (SSAT) at grades 3, 5, and 8, and on the SSAT-I and SSAT-II given in grade 10. Specific questions about the use of district scores were addressed in a study…

The University of Phoenix has developed a comprehensive outcomes and impact assessment program to assess the effects of a university education on students, particularly adult students. The program is integrated with the existing process assessment systems. Process assessments, which the university refers to as the Academic Quality Management…

Intended for educators, policymakers, and anyone concerned with the nation's reading skills, this booklet draws on four recent reports in the Nation's Report Card series, which are based on findings of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The first chapter discusses two important components of literacy--the ability to achieve a…

The reflective practice of principalship differs from other ways of practicing principalship by viewing the principal's problems as unique rather than as standard problems susceptible to standardized solutions. This book provides information, raises questions, and considers the complexities of school problems, all as raw material for the…