Using data strategically to guide decisions and actions can have a positive effect on education practices and processes. This facilitation guide shows education data teams how to move beyond simply reporting data to applying data to direct strategic action. Using guiding questions, suggested activities, and activity forms, this guide provides…

Most assessment arguments are about measurement. When is it better to use direct versus indirect measures of student learning? Is one standardized test of critical thinking better than another? Is applying rubrics to student work better than using standardized tests? How valid are self-reported measures of learning? Although these arguments are…

Formative feedback systems live at the heart of systemic school improvement efforts. Without accurate and timely information on the results of intended interventions, school leaders and teachers fly blind in their efforts to link what they expect to what actually happens in their schools. This paper draws on the results of a 5-year National…

Finding time for teams to work in schools is both a necessity and a responsibility. If educators are sincere about efforts to improve student learning, leaders must take responsibility for providing team time for teachers and a structure in which they are able to work collaboratively. The Papillion-La Vista (Nebraska) Public Schools took to heart…

This guide contains suggestions for interpreting educational research results and, indirectly, makes suggestions for research report writers. The purpose of the study and hypotheses should be stated clearly. Several approaches to reporting statistical results are outlined, and some suggestions are made for evaluating the results of…

This paper uses research findings on program evaluations over the last 20 years to derive 10 "Golden Rules" that will help school districts increase student learning. Each of the rules is described and illustrated within the context of a five-part quality assurance and evaluation system of program screening, field-testing, adoption and…

Environmental scanning, enrollment forecasting, budget analyses, and institutional effectiveness assessment are examples of the explicit contributions institutional research offices make to campus strategic planning.

Throughout this era of greater educational accountability, assessment researchers have argued that large-scale comparative assessment data can enhance learning within and across systems of education and can foster reforms based on the practices of high achieving jurisdictions. Other researchers are less optimistic, warning that educational reform…

Most researchers agree that several broad-based steps are required for the effective use of data in education. First, states or districts must agree upon which data elements and indicators to collect. Then, those responsible for collecting the data must ensure its integrity. Once the data is considered valid and reliable, educators must have the…

This appendix accompanies "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better. A Large-Scale Study of Middle Grades Practices and Student Outcomes. Initial Research Report." This appendix focuses on the findings and domain comparisons of the study. This appendix contains the following: (1) Decision Rules; (2) Full Set of…

The author responds to alarm over declining national test scores by outlining possible improvements for educational practice and policy. (LH)

Exploratory work in the implementation of a portfolio assessment system at an elementary school in Washington State is described. The effectiveness of the assessment strategy is examined in relation to: (1) teacher implementation levels; (2) student demographic variables; and (3) teacher ratings of students' academic and social adjustment levels…

The National Assessment is a plan for a systematic survey of knowledges, skills, understandings, and attitudes. The development of citizenship assessment described in this paper typifies the processes undergone for each subject--art, career and occupational development, citizenship, literature, mathematics, music, reading, science, social studies,…

Effective teacher evaluation is at the core of improving the quality and value of education and principals bear the responsibility of implementing a teacher evaluation program that helps develop highly qualified teachers and promotes high academic standards. In this easy-to-use handbook, the authors offer a fresh, innovative look into teacher…

In an effort to determine the methods used to assess and document student achievement at two-year colleges within the Mid-Plains Technical Community College Area (MPTCCA) in Nebraska and to develop an effective assessment model for use within the MPTCCA, surveys were sent to 79 chief executive officers representing all public, two-year, technical…