This handbook is developed as a part of Maryland's accountability program and is intended to assure the required uniformity in test administration procedures, security of test materials, and other matters with the aim of establishing an accountability assessment system which is fair to students, staff, schools, and school systems. Special…

Article 77, Section 28a, of the Annotated Code of the Laws of Maryland, commonly called the Maryland Educational Accountability Program (MAAP), was passed in 1972 by the Maryland General Assembly. This act should insure when properly implemented, that educational programs: (1) lead to the attainment of established educational objectives, (2)…

This book has been written for state board of education members and other citizens interested in public education. It is, in a sense, a primer in matters relating to learning, testing, assessment, and evaluation. Presented are some philosophical and political considerations in statewide educational evaluation. Learning is defined and the types and…

The Nebraska Assessment Battery of Essential Learning Skills (N-ABELS) is a goal-oriented instrument with an evaluation component providing a basis for determining acquisition of twelve skills defined as learning goals. Each goal is stated in terms of an acceptable performance standard which clearly describes what the student must do. The skills…

The first part of this report is a question-and-answer survey of minimum competency legislation, testing programs, and remedial programs. It includes the questions of both the educator and the lay person. Topics include: minimum competency tests, the debate over minimum competency programs, what happens after testing, and what citizens should look…

This document is designed to help the reader understand the district profiles of the California statewide testing program. These data assist the reader to compare a districts' performance with that of previous years and of other districts, especially those with similar characteristics. A brief description of the development and content of the…

Each year all Georgia children and youth in the fourth, eighth and eleventh grades are tested; the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills is used in the fourth and eighth grades, the Tests of Academic Progress in the eleventh grade. Test scores which provide a wealth of information, may be used as a tool for the teacher, principal, curriculum specialist or…

The Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) was designed to provide information on the extent to which Michigan students have attained minimal performance objectives. This manual was written to help local Michigan school district staff read, interpret, and use MEAP data. The 1977-78 MEAP provided objective-referenced achievement measures in…

In this booklet, the New York State Department of Education's approach to the evaluation of categorically aided projects is described. It is stated that in recent years, the emphasis has been on structuring the content of data and limiting it to factors which are comparable and useful at local, State and Federal levels. Measurement procedures…

Step-by-step instructions for the school representative responsible for Educational Quality Assessment in Pennsylvania are provided. The representative, who is expected to attend Quality Assessment Workshops, is given information about how to schedule the administration of the questionnaire, how to collect district and school data, and how to…

In addition to some general and basic principles regarding the importance of an acceptable accountability system, a number of specific criteria for evaluating state accountability programs is provided. The stated purposes of such a system and the specific uses of the resulting data should be clear and concise. Local control must be retained and…

Since the California Assessment Program began in 1972 to provide information for evaluation of school programs in California, major changes in testing practices have occurred. Scholastic aptitude testing has been eliminated in all grades; state-designed reading and basic skills tests are administered in grades one, two, three, six, and twelve.…

Presented are guidelines, suggested methods, and forms for the screening, evaluation, placement, and dismissal of children into and out of special programs for the handicapped in South Carolina. Offered are guidelines, forms, and publicity announcements for screening in the community and school. Provided are the definition, identification…

Monitors are provided with step-by-step directions on how to administer Pennsylvania's Educational Quality Assessment Questionnaires to elementary school pupils. They are told what materials are needed, how to keep materials secure, and what to do if a student misses a session. Monitors are given suggestions for questionnaire administration and…

Beginning in 1998, a state program called Reaching for Results began focusing on raising achievement for all Louisiana students. This program includes two different approaches: (1) teaching strategies that support students in meeting educational outcomes that will prepare them for life after school; and (2) assessments that evaluate student…