This assessment packet contains all materials to assess a student's competency in personal development. The purpose of the tests at the state level is to demonstrate achievement in knowledge associated with work and family life competencies. Used by the classroom teacher, the results can indicate a program's strengths and weaknesses and serve as a…

Writing assessment began in Alaska in the 1970s, and the Alaska Writing Assessment (AWA) that was piloted in 1997 built on previous efforts. The 1997 AWA involved more than 20,000 students in grades 5, 7, and 10 from 43 school districts, and the mandatory assessment planned for 1998 will include approximately 28,000 students. This review of the…

A study examined time limits from the perspectives of welfare recipients and line staff in welfare agencies. Data on time-limited welfare were drawn from staff surveys and from group and individual interviews with both staff and recipients in selected locations in Florida, Vermont, and Wisconsin during the first half of 1996. Findings indicated…

This paper examines the purposes and criteria of statewide program evaluations in higher education, focusing on the development of program evaluations in Illinois, and presents new statewide criteria for program approval and review. It also discusses the role of the Illinois State Board of Higher Education in approving and reviewing programs at…

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has challenged test developers to create a voluntary program of certification in which highly accomplished teachers receive recognition for meeting rigorous standards. These four papers report the experiences of teacher-candidates, school district administrators, researchers, and test…

As almost every state attempts to reform mathematics instruction by implementing new teaching standards, state testing practices remain largely unchanged. Is there a mismatch between these new standards and the old tests? This question is investigated by examining whether middle school and high school algebra students taught in a manner consistent…

An evaluation of net impact of programs funded under the Washington State Employment and Training Act (ESHB 1988) of 1993, which provided money to community and technical colleges to expand existing courses and create new ones for Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants most likely to lose jobs. The evaluation focused on whether the displaced UI…

This final report of the Nebraska Special Education Accountability Commission presents recommendations for reforming the state's special education system. The tasks of the commission were to develop recommendations for a new funding system for special education which would be identification and placement neutral, to encourage preventive services,…

A statewide performance-based accreditation system began using a performance index in 1995-96 to indicate where school districts fall in the distribution of accreditation levels. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a significant gain in the performance index in the second year. The performance index was based on the…

This analysis addresses two important questions regarding appropriate uses of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) statewide average test score comparisons. First is whether NAEP state test score averages provide meaningful and valid comparisons of the relative educational quality or proficiency of specific states. The other…

The Virginia Department of Correctional Education (DCE) offers programs in basic skills, academic, vocational, special education, and social skills. Postsecondary courses are also offered by community colleges and other postsecondary institutions. The DCE currently operates education programs and related services in 20 major adult education…

The Division of Adult Education in the Arizona Department of Education and the Arizona Adult Literacy and Technology Resource Center contracted with the Morrison Institute for Public Policy to develop an evaluation system for Arizona's adult education program. During phase I, the institute analyzed existing program data on Arizona's adult…

This Library Services and Technology Act Five Year Plan was prepared in compliance with Section 224 State Plans of the Library Services and Technology Act (Public Law 104-208). The goal of this plan is to assist South Carolina libraries in providing a high level of information services to all South Carolinians, regardless of the type of library…

Responding to a call to action by California's state leaders to make reading instruction in the early grades a top priority in the public schools, this booklet discusses California's new K-3 reading program. It begins with a discussion of what prompted this new focus on reading, and then discusses the four major elements of a balanced reading…

A look at changes in education and society between 1984 and 1997 in Victoria (Australia) makes possible some predictions about Victoria's educational system in 2010. A look at the past suggests that Australia is moving toward a third world economy that would see many Australians marginalized. An alternative to avoid this situation is to focus less…