Since March 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed unprecedented stresses on the public education system in the United States. At every level, from the U.S. Department of Education down through local districts and individual schools, the pandemic has presented formidable challenges. Many of these challenges have been…

The Swedish school system comprises: (1) Pre-primary school (Forskola), typical age 1-5; (2) Preschool class in the compulsory school (Grundskola) typical age 6 (participation voluntary); (3) Compulsory school, typical age 7-16, grades 1-9, and (4) Upper secondary school, 17 programmes (4 mainly academic, 13 vocational), typical age 16-19, grades…

Technology and testing have become two popular prescriptions for improving education. The technology nostrum suggests that the infusion of modern technology into schools will bolster teaching and learning and will prepare students for an increasingly technological workplace. The testing prescription holds that using standardized test scores to…

The Polish school education system makes a distinction between two types of assessment: (1) Intra-school or internal assessment; and (2) External assessment. The idea of introducing external examinations into the Polish school education system emerged in 1992. This was directly inspired by study visits to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands…

Reviews notable education books: "The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager" (Thomas Hine); "The Big Test" (Nicholas Lemann); "The Educated Child" (William Bennett); "Lost Boys" (James Garbarino); "The Schools Our Children Deserve" (Alfie Kohn); "Ready or Not" (Kay Hymowitz); "High…

Computerized testing pioneers are forcing educators to consider scrapping paper-and-pencil tests in favor of electronic testing. Critics say standardized testing and curricula will produce standardized children for point-and-click work places. Benefits include immediate and sophisticated analyses to aid teaching adjustments. Equity questions…

Discusses the problems arising with standardized testing which play an important role in the structure and politics of K-12 education. Describes the benefits of using interactive Internet technologies for the assessment of inquiry-based science instruction. (Contains 21 references.) (YDS)

Provides information to parents about tests and assessments used to evaluate their children in school. Performance assessments, such as portfolios, are increasingly used to measure students' ability to do actual tasks. However, standardized aptitude and achievement tests still have a major influence on what students are taught. (SM)

Discusses characteristics and trends of home schools and workplaces. Use of computers and computer applications (CD-ROMS, interactive software, and networking) in home schooling provides a compatible environment for future home-based businesses and telecommuting trends. Sidebars include information on home schools on line; standardized test…

Celebrating the Illinois Reading Council's 25th anniversary year, this 2-part monograph presents 11 papers on diverse aspects of reading and literacy. Papers in the first part, called "Historical Reflections and Challenges," are: "The Illinois Reading Council Celebrates 25 Years" (John W. Logan); "The 'Illinois Reading…

Issues related to achieving adequate national norms are reviewed, and a new methodology is proposed that would work to provide a true measure of national achievement levels on an annual basis and would enable reporting results in current-year norms. Statistical methodology and technology could combine to create a national norming process that…

The "No Child Left Behind Act" continues to provide a centerpiece for educational discussions. This federal policy has been the object of praise and criticism and has brought standards-based reform into focus for the nation. In this paper the authors discuss the ways that standards-based reforms may be at odds with efforts to increase technology…

This paper presents a qualitative description of one of Hawaii's educational reform projects: the Electronic School Pilot Project, an innovative method of integrating advanced telecommunications technology into the classroom as a proposed cure for statewide inadequate or low performance on national standard exams (e.g., ACT and SAT). The…

Describes a program in Hillsborough County, Florida, where optical scanners are being used in the schools to grade minimum performance tests. States that the system helps teachers identify students' needs more efficiently. Argues that the system will improve students' scores on the state performance tests given later in the year. (TW)

The Apple Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT) program was designed to study what happens when "tomorrow's" educational resources, such as individual computer support, are available in the classroom. Student achievement and attitudes were evaluated at five elementary school and secondary school sites located in four states and encompassing…