In an era of financial stringency and demands for better school performance, it is useful to think about several means of raising school productivity: (1) increase learning effectiveness without increasing costs; (2) reduce costs without diminishing effectiveness; or (3) both, that is, increase effectiveness and simultaneously reduce costs. The…

It is a simple fact that access to high-speed broadband is now as vital a component of K-12 school infrastructure as electricity, air conditioning, and heating. The same tools and resources that have transformed educators' personal, civic, and professional lives must be part of learning experiences intended to prepare today's students for college…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were created in response to the shortcomings of No Child Left Behind era standards and assessments. Among those failings were the poor quality of content standards and assessments and the variability in content expectations and proficiency targets across states, as well as concerns related to the economic…

The purpose of the International Computer and Information Literacy Study 2013 (ICILS 2013) is to investigate, in a range of countries, the ways in which young people are developing "computer and information literacy" (CIL) to support their capacity to participate in the digital age. To achieve this aim, the study will assess student…

Analysis of Qatar's standards-based student assessment system, the first in the region, offers several lessons for other nations instituting similar reforms. These include the need to coordinate on standards and assessment development, allow sufficient time for a fully aligned assessment, and communicate about the purposes and uses of testing.…

Computer-Assisted Foreign Language Teaching and Learning: Technological Advances highlights new research and an original framework that brings together foreign language teaching, experiments and testing practices that utilize the most recent and widely used e-learning resources. This comprehensive collection of research will offer linguistic…

This study elaborates the "what works?" question by exploring the effects of variability in program implementation quality on achievement. Particularly, the effects on achievement of computerized assessment of reading were investigated, analyzing data on 51,000 students in Grades 1-12 who read over 3 million books. When minimum implementation…

The document is part of the final report on Project STEEL (Special Teacher Education and Evaluation Laboratory) intended to extend the utilization of technology in the training of preservice special education teachers. This volume focuses on the third of four project objectives, the development and implementation of a computer-based testing…

In the chapters presented in this volume, leading experts describe some of the assessment challenges in greater detail and provide federal recommendations on how to address them. In "College and Work Readiness as a Goal of High Schools: The Role of Standards, Assessments, and Accountability," John Tanner of the Center for Innovative Measures at…

Intended as an action guide, this book focuses on the issues, concepts, and facts relevant to the educator who wants to consider using computers to accomplish learning objectives. A short history of computers emphasizing microcomputers and their use in education is followed by a discussion of current educational uses which includes a more detailed…

The document is part of the final report on Project STEEL (Special Teacher Education and Evaluation Laboratory) intended to extend the utilization of technology in the training of preservice special education teachers. This volume focuses on the first of four project objectives, the development and implementation of a microcomputer-based…

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…

Discusses some of the attributes of microcomputer-based school administration packages that are currently available that can provide small- to medium-size schools with full function computing capabilities for much less cost than mini and mainframe computer systems. (TW)

The document presents the executive summary of the final report of Project STEEL (Special Teacher Education and Evaluation Laboratory), a 3-year study at Indiana University. Project STEEL achieved four major goals: (1) development, implementation, and evaluation of a microcomputer-based observation system for codification, storage, and…

This paper discusses some of the significant issues that school districts, superintendents, principals, board members, and faculty will have to face in the acquisition and implementation of educational hardware and software. Strengths and weaknesses of various computer configurations are presented and it is suggested that the use of professional…