Dilemmas abound in the design, implementation, analysis, and interpretation of the outcomes of a summative performance assessment of teaching when used for licensing, for individual and program evaluation, and for accountability purposes. In this article, we explore the impact of the Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT) on the…

This document summarizes the work of participants in California's Towards Arts Assessment Project (TAAP). The project participants worked on developing guidelines and plans for arts assessments. The document includes the TAAP participants' performance assessments as illustrations and as guidelines for continuing a dialogue in the feasibility and…

In developing criterion-referenced reading tests, staff in a Skokie (Illinois) school district answered parents' concerns about accountability, participated in a valuable inservice learning experience, and achieved coordination between elementary and junior high programs. (Author/WD)

A project to provide training in the shell fishing industries was continued into its second year to develop entry-level skills for employment and provide instruction and hands-on experience through infusing the existing Marine Science program. Results from a survey of instructors and individuals involved in the industry were used to develop a…

Describes the background and development of an outcome-based educational system for the West Irondequoit (New York) K-12 social studies program. Provides examples of student performance tasks and suggestions for scoring them. Includes a curriculum guide with philosophical assumptions and a list of essential learning outcomes. (CFR)

This document is designed to assist physical education teachers in addressing deficiencies found in Michigan students when they were tested on physical education performance objectives. The objectives included are: (1) locomotion--run, hop, skip; (2) body projection--horizontal and vertical jump; (3) rhythm--move to an even beat; (4) object…

This set of 21 performance tests in electronics technology was developed on the basis of a review of commercial and noncommercial instructional materials dealing with electronics technology. The tests, which were reviewed by a group of community college instructors and an advisory committee for electronics technology, address the following…

The Basic Medical Specialist course has one of the largest enrollments of the U.S. Army's Academy of Health Sciences; 11,000 soldiers were trained in this course in 1977 and 1978. Training encompasses both emergency first aid (for field medics) and basic nursing skills. A task force working to improve Army training developed this course, in…

This report describes four components of an instructional management program that was implemented by a large public school system in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1981. The four program components are the following: (1) A districtwide uniform curriculum; a districtwide standardized criterion referenced testing program; a performance-based student…

The Instructional Systems Development (ISD) approach for the accomplishment of vocational training programs provides a methodology for gathering and analyzing job information, for developing instructional materials and media, for conducting instruction, and for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of training programs. Included in the ISD…