All but two of the states are in the process of implementing some form of mandatory teacher testing, if they have not already done so. However, the limitations of state procedures, i.e., different standards, approaches, and requirements, combined with significant improvement in evaluation techniques, have led to the call for a system of national…

Literature on evaluating the communication skills of teachers is briefly reviewed in this paper. Topics under consideration include how different states evaluate communication, how communication should be evaluated, whether or not state assessments reflect current research on teacher assessment, and how useful is the attempt to assess…

A synthesis of the report, "The Current State of Assessment in Literature," (produced by the Center for the Learning and Teaching of Literature), this digest discusses methods of evaluating students' knowledge of literature. The digest argues that, by and large, the tests that now exist in the United States do not live up to the…

This digest describes state policies and teacher dilemmas in using proficiency tests and standardized assessment. Currently, 19 states require mandated assessment for high school graduation and several other states are considering such requirements. Standards-based assessment needs to be accompanied by a clear set of grade-level goals so teachers,…

Current assessment practices in the classroom can affect the movement toward a child-centered curriculum in mathematics education. The mathematical community is addressing the challenge to implement standards in the areas of testing, assessment, and accountability in order to maintain this movement. This digest: (1) discusses what makes current…

Principals and teachers are becoming frustrated with conventional evaluation practices typically used to determine teacher effectiveness and, thus, tenure and promotion. This Digest explains that as new performance standards are being developed, there are reconfigured assessment designs requiring an array of reflective, analytic skills. Creation…