This report describes a program for improving students' depth of understanding through the use of alternative assessment. The targeted population consisted of students at one elementary, one junior high, and two high schools in two growing middle class communities in northern Illinois. Lack of student understanding was documented through teacher…

Guidance is offered on the creation and use of alternative assessment; and a process model is presented that links assessment with curriculum and instruction, based on contemporary theories of learning and cognition. The introductory chapter, "Rethinking Assessment," provides background on the purposes of assessment and the need for new…

Guidance is offered in Spanish on the creation and use of alternative assessment, and a process model is presented that links assessment with curriculum and instruction, based on contemporary theories of learning and cognition. The introductory chapter provides background on the purposes of assessment and the need for new alternatives, with an…

The articles in this annotated bibliography represent holdings of the Test Center in the area of assessment alternatives in mathematics. Presence on the list does not imply endorsement of the practices by the Test Center; rather, articles are made available to stimulate thinking and provide ideas. Some entries present informal assessments intended…

The third year of the contract, 1993-94, was one of culminating activities for the Region F Technical Assistance Center (TAC), as well as a year for preparation for reauthorization. The TAC continued to provide assistance that focused on improving curriculum and instruction across all aspects of Chapter 1. A significant change was the increase in…

This document, part of a series of papers which describe the assessment of student learning in areas of the curriculum from prekindergarten through grade 12, focuses on assessment in the language arts. Current practices are reviewed. Subsequent sections describe guidelines for appropriate curriculum goals and content in language arts programs. A…

The new "Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools" identifies complex instructional activities and student performance, and requires new assessment methods to reveal that performance. One of the goals of the California Assessment Collaborative (CAC) is to study the effects of local assessment development and implementation…

One educational change that is beginning to take hold is the use of alternative ways of testing and assessment, often referred to as authentic assessment. Advocates of authentic assessment believe that conventional testing is distorting educational goals, while authentic assessment can foster good educational practices. In fact, many educators…

This edition of the "Research Bulletin" is a compilation of papers presented at the annual William F. Breivogel Conference in 1993. The conference theme was alternative and portfolio assessment. Papers were grouped into assessment in general, portfolio assessment, and alternative assessments and curriculum questions. The selected papers…

This report, part of a series of documents which describe assessment of student learning in various curriculum areas from prekindergarten through grade 12 focuses on assessment as practiced in early childhood education in South Carolina. An overview is provided of current practices used in the first few years of schooling that are now being…

In 1993, the Ministry of Education and Training in Ontario (Canada) issued a curriculum policy document that defined educational outcomes and recommended that many of the outcomes could be achieved through an integrated approach to learning. This study considers the third year after the mandated changes began. Other changes, including a new…

The seven articles of this issue examine the implications of the proposed use of a variety of new assessments for students and parents, schools and school personnel, the educational system, and society in general. They clarify the dilemmas that challenge educational assessment and the relationship of assessment to educational reform. (SLD)

The third conference on improving mathematics and science assessment brought together more than 550 educators, researchers, and policymakers. Recommendations and information from the conference are incorporated into this report. Conference consensus was that students must recognize that there is more to assessment than grades and scores and begin…

As part of a series of documents describing assessment of student learning in various curriculum areas in South Carolina, this document reviews the assessment of student learning in the science classroom. The report begins with a discussion of effective science learning, and outlines the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that encompass science…

The Student Assessment Consortium (SAC), a collaboration between the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing and the Council of Chief State School Officers, was created to facilitate innovative assessment work in several subject areas. Its purpose is to share expertise and information about the development of innovative…