The use of standards-based classroom assessments to test English learners' language proficiency is increasingly prevalent in the United States and many other countries. In a large urban school district in California, for example, a classroom assessment is used to make high-stakes decisions about English learners' progress from one level to the…

A science laboratory skills performance assessment for elementary and secondary school science teachers in California, using a multi-methods approach, is described. Seven domains of teacher performance identified included: pedagogy, content, materials and equipment, management, knowledge of students, climate, and communication. Within each domain,…