As an assessment method based on a constructivist approach, peer assessment has become popular in recent years. However, in peer assessment, a problem remains that reliability depends on the rater characteristics. For this reason, some item response models that incorporate rater parameters have been proposed. Those models are expected to improve…

The Chinese have been using standardized testing for centuries. Ancient Greeks have tried it for centuries since 5th and 4th BC. There is no evidence that they have become successful in educating their children through an imperial or elitist system. The impact of standardizing the education on a nation is significant. This is not only true for not…

To provide educators with the data they need to improve student achievement, states must have more than a series of one-time snapshots of student performance. They need a system that collects high-quality data about how individual students are doing over time, from prekindergarten through 12th grade and into postsecondary education. This…

One can not help but notice that the education community's professional fear-mongers focus heavily on PISA (Program of International Student Assessment) and rarely mention TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) or PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Study) in their discussion of the state of education in the United…

This article describes the findings of studies conducted on a large-scale, classroom-based performance assessment of literacy for the early grades designed to provide information that is useful for reporting, as well as teaching. Technical studies found the assessment to be a promising instrument that is reliable and valid. Follow-up studies of…

StrengthsQuest is a student program that focuses on strengths rather than weaknesses. It is intended to lead students to discover their natural talents and gain unique and valuable insights into how to develop such talents into strengths--strengths that equip them to succeed and to make important decisions that enable them to balance the demands…

This article discusses development of the Blind Rehabilitation Services Functional Outcomes Survey during a research project on the rehabilitation of adults with visual impairments. It describes the development process, the methods used in establishing survey reliability and validity, and the results of intermediate analyses of the data. (Contains…

Background: Actual practice in the Netherlands has shown the need of an instrument to evaluate the quality of support plans. This article describes the development of an instrument for such evaluation. Method: The concept of quality of life (QOL) domains were used to develop an instrument to evaluate the quality of support plans within a QOL…

Each year for the past 25 years, the Center for Gifted Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock conducts a three-week summer enrichment program for gifted and talented students entitled Summer Laureate/University for Youth. The program was developed to provide a practicum experience for teachers seeking either licensure or a master's…

Quality measures were originally developed for research aimed at describing the settings that children spend time in and identifying the characteristics of these environments that contribute to children's development. They were also developed to guide improvements in practice. Increasingly, however, measures of quality are being used for further…

The document consists of a 125-item evaluation instrument for use in assessing the overall plan and quality of programs in the area of serious emotional disturbance (SED) or behavior disorders. Questions are organized according to the following nine categories (based on identified components of a well-designed SED program): (1) respondent and…

Based on the evaluation of 24 faculty development programs in the United States and other scholarly activities, the benefits of systematic planning and evaluation of faculty development programs are considered. In addition, a set of field tested instruments for planning and evaluation and case studies of institutional programs are presented, and…

The KHAN DU! project developed television programs and accompanying printed materials combining three elements: (1) career education objectives targeted to both handicapped and non-handicapped children, (2) visual and dramatic elements designed primarily to interest the child viewer, and (3) handicapped children playing major roles and documentary…

State and federal mandates for education reform call for increased accountability and the inclusion of students with disabilities in all accountability efforts. In the rush to implement high-stakes education reforms, particularly those involving tests or assessments, the particular needs of students with severe cognitive disabilities are only now…

A taxonomy of potential values conflicts in evaluations is presented. Basis is the distinction of types of conflict (aims vs. means conflicts; qualitative vs. quantitative conflicts). Six areas of values are discussed: the ethical, methodical, social and interactive, legal, economic, and personal values. The taxonomy of conflicts between these…