Federal policy now focuses on teacher "effectiveness" rather than teacher "quality" as its central policy concern. Rather than measuring inputs, the new focus looks to measure the outcomes of a teacher's work--that is, the extent to which the educator has met crucial student needs, such as improved student achievement. As…

After establishing ambitious learning outcomes to prepare students for the next century, a Colorado school district used a framework developed at a nearby educational laboratory as a model to create appropriate assessment criteria and tasks. The revised assessment procedures have produced significant benefits for both students and teachers,…

Describes two exploratory projects involving a fifth-grade civics class in Connecticut and an eighth-grade English class in Vermont. Using techniques such as small-group inteviews, situational pictures, learning logs, and assessment measures, researchers determined that what students learn often bears little resemblance to the "taught"…

Researchers who compared Nebraska high school curricula between 1953 and 1983 have developed a model readily adaptable to individual districts desiring a more informed basis for decision making. (Author)