Socratic seminars are active learning opportunities for students that create a classroom atmosphere building upon the foundational knowledge and experience of the students in the room. The teacher acts as a facilitator of learning, and students research, create questions, and converse to create a deeper understanding of learning. The purpose of…

The case study explores the adoption and implementation of personalized, competency-based learning at Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) within the broader context of the Arizona Personalized Learning Network (AZPLN). The study reveals that YUHSD has made notable strides in aligning district-wide systems with personalized learning principles,…

States use their accountability systems to identify low-performing schools, which can receive added support and are expected to improve. Alternative schools serve students whose needs are not met in a regular school. They often serve at-risk students who are struggling academically or behaviorally. Given this unique population, the Government…

This study explores measurement of a construct called knowledge integration in science using multiple-choice and explanation items. We use construct and instructional validity evidence to examine the role multiple-choice and explanation items plays in measuring students' knowledge integration ability. For construct validity, we analyze item…

The infusion of online education has brought about significant changes within the traditional, brick-and-mortar schoolhouse. With an increasing number of students enrolling in online courses, administrators must identify more quality online educators to meet the needs of the students in their care. Hence, the focus of this study is to answer the…

This study explored the relationships among the components of the Arizona Department of Education's new teacher evaluation model, with a particular focus on the extent to which ratings from the state model's teacher observation instrument differentiated higher and lower performance. The study used teacher-level evaluation data collected by the…

Central to the standards-based assessment validation process is an examination of the alignment between state standards and test items. Several alignment analysis systems have emerged recently, but most rely on either traditional rating or matching techniques. Little, if any, analyses have been reported on the degree of consistency between the two…

This year the Center on Education Policy (CEP) analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps…

This publication contains Arizona public schools' updated academic standards for high school. The contents of this document contain: (1) The Arts Standard 2006--High School; (2) Comprehensive Health Education/Physical Activity Standards 1997--Proficiency and Distinction (Grades 9-12); (3) Foreign and Native Language Standards 1997--Proficiency and…