Michigan is designing a new accountability system that combines high standards and statewide testing within a school accreditation framework. Sound assessment techniques are critical if the accountability system is to provide relevant information to schools and policymakers. One important component of a sound assessment system is measurement of…

The purpose of this research study was to determine if the implementation of a social skills curriculum would have a positive effect on the performance of severely emotionally or behaviorally disordered students (SEBD). The program studied was the Boys' Town Educational Model (BTEM). Student performance was defined in terms of reading recognition…

School researchers and administrators are developing new ways to measure student skills and progress, using portfolios, self-evaluation, verbal answers to mathematics problems, and other assessment formats. This book explains the assessment reform movement and describes programs across the country that have embraced new forms of assessment.…

This is a 2001 report on the enrollment and progress for basic skills students in Washington State's community and technical colleges. Report highlights include: (1) 15% of all state-support instruction is in basic skills; (2) 53% of basic skills instruction is in English second language (ESL) programs; and (3) adult basic education (ABE) and…

In 1998, the Institution-Wide Reform project at the University of Hartford (Connecticut) was evaluated. The main focus of the project was the improvement of teaching and learning in the science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) disciplines for freshmen. Documentation from various sources indicated that the program accomplished its…

Three approaches, focusing on (1) individual differences, (2) an aggregate composite, and (3) an aptitude-treatment interaction model to assess classroom climate, are discussed. A description of how a classroom climate approach to secondary-level psychological services can be implemented is presented. (Author/PN)

Peoria's efforts with the development and implications of a Minimum Competency Testing (MCT) program are described, including the program model used, numbers of high school seniors and seventh graders who passed the pilot test sequence, and views on the advantages, disadvantages, and effectiveness of the MCT program. (Editor/SJL)

Membership in the worldwide community means that students must possess globally competitive skills. In 1993, the author and the Colorado General Assembly worked to pass a comprehensive educational reform strategy that established "model" content standards in mathematics, science, geography, history, reading, and writing. Uniform…

Description of the viewpoints of two experienced teachers who were implementing a novel computer program in grades five and six focuses on three main issues: learning to accommodate changes required by innovation; organizing new classroom routines; and indications of students' achievements. Curriculum content and computer literacy are also…

Milwaukee's voluntary student transfer program started in 1976 and today includes the city school district and 23 suburban districts. This year, 5,856 Milwaukee students chose to attend suburban schools, whereas 874 suburban students are attending Milwaukee schools. A participating superintendent describes the legal-agreement process and…

This article reviews the literature on curriculum-based assessment (CBA) with students who have special education needs. Features of CBA common to various approaches and contributing most to its instructional effectiveness include teachers' evaluative attitudes and behaviors, focus and sustained attention on student performance, and facilitation…

Presents a three-year case study of a Chapter 1 Schoolwide Project's (SWP) implementation and effects. The school environment prior to SWP, the program's development, and results are discussed. During the years of SWP status, teacher development, parental involvement, student attendance, and academic achievement all reveal dramatic improvements.…

This article addresses the problems of racism, prejudice, and bigotry and how they restrain academic achievement in minority students and the need for leadership to confront and reverse these effects. Politics (suburban/urban differences in funding), technology (computer gap), and family income are three factors that impact differentially upon the…

This book presents case-study findings of five school systems' efforts to become true learning communities through action research into the school-renewal process. The programs were located in the Southeast, Midwest, Far West, and an overseas region of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools. The programs shared three characteristics: a focus…

The 1988 Hawkins-Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments to Chapter 1 (now Title I) have enabled broad expansion of Title I schoolwide projects. The regulatory changes provide funding to entire schools, rather than targeting services to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged subpopulations. This paper reviews what is…