Most standardized achievement tests do not provide much information that can be used in improving an educational program. Teachers and other program developers need to know what kinds of program objectives are being learned and by what kinds of students and what kinds are not being learned and by whom. Information of this sort furnishes a basis…

The costs and benefits of recent statewide and nationwide educational assessment programs are examined. The purpose of this paper is to present and substantiate some critical lessons and observations concerning: how the costs and benefits of large-scale assessments (LSAs) can be appraised, and the utility of this type of research to policymakers…

This digest examines issues concerning performance assessment of students receiving special education services. Issues addressed are: (1) need to infuse performance assessment into national programs including the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS); (2) current lack of inclusion of…

Two types of information on the outcomes of education in New York State for the 1983-84 school year are presented. One relates to New York State tests and programs. The second is a by-product of national programs that identify outstanding pupils. During the 1983-84 school year, elementary and secondary school students demonstrated high achievement…

The process of developing a state education indicators system using the model proposed by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is described. The CCSSO model has three components--indicators of educational outcomes; indicators of school policies and practices; and indicators of contextual factors, or state characteristics. The goal is…

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states were invited in June 1984 to participate in a project with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to assess the reading achievement of eleventh grade students. Florida, Tennessee and Virginia accepted and worked with SREB and NAEP staff to develop and administer the testing program.…

A study of 13 national and state data collection programs examined the exclusion of students with disabilities from data collection programs evaluating student educational outcomes. Eight recommendations are offered for improving the collection and reporting of information in state and national data collection programs. (Author/CR)

Argues that the pendulum between federal and state education initiatives has swung to the states; reviews the extent to which state standards have incorporated the recommendations of "Geography for Life." Concludes that the translation of "Geography for Life" into state standards is uneven due to problems of accessibility. (DSK)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as "The Nation's Report Card," is a congressionally mandated survey of educational achievement of American students in a variety of curriculum areas and of changes in that achievement across time. Part 1 of this report consists of the results of NAEP's 1990 national…

This is one of several reports used to monitor the public-school system in North Carolina. This report has three purposes: (1) to assist policymakers in gauging the status and progress of student achievement in the state; (2) to compare student achievement in North Carolina with student achievement nationwide; and (3) to inform the public of the…

Discusses the evolution of state-level assessment activities of college graduates' skills/outcomes to provide a context for a proposed national system and examines extent and types of testing in six states. Addresses the purposes of postsecondary assessment and draws conclusions as to institutional support needed to sustain a collaborative system.…

Getting assessment results used is no easy task. This paper examines the findings of a recent study on the uses of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and suggests implications for increasing use of state and local assessment results. The NAEP study, conducted at Northwestern University, generated evidence that assessment results…

Prepared as part of the Career Education Project of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the paper deals with curriculum development and implementation. Using current literature on the topic as a point of reference, topics dealt with include: (1) the role of curriculum in career education, (2) the impact of career education on State…

Describes developments in the fields of learning theory, assessment, and politics of national and state assessments. Shows how use of these developments and modern assessment and evaluation methodologies can address some long-standing problems in Chapter 1 evaluation. Focuses on linking classroom and school improvement with Chapter 1 program…

In 1991, the Kansas Association of School Boards began a program called Quest for Quality. The program is based on the belief that public schools must adjust to changes in children, families, communities, and economic and political conditions in the nation and the world. Quest for Quality also reaffirms the American school system's responsiveness…