This manual contains information about the contents of a database that provides information about efforts to match changing goals for student achievement to ideas about instruction. The database, available on disk, contains descriptive information on alternative assessments in science and mathematics. The database uses a broad definition of alternative assessment so that it can include any type of assessment in which students create a response to a question rather than choosing a response from a given list. The manual also contains information on how to use the database, including hardware and software requirements, and how to extract information. Appendix A contains the form used to collect information about the assessments. Appendix B is a sample assessment evaluation form. Appendix C provides summary descriptive information about the assessments in the database. Appendix D contains samples of reports that can be printed from the database are in Appendix D, and Appendix E is an index and annotated bibliography that describes each of the database entries. (Appendix C contains five tables.) (SLD)