This brief from the Region 2 Comprehensive Center, in consultation with the New York State Education Department, presents seven state case studies that illustrate the implementation of performance-based assessments. It contributes to the growing research on performance-based assessment, highlighting specific state-level policies that include…

STEM education plays a critical role in preparing individuals for the challenges of a rapidly evolving technological world. This paper explores various methods for evaluating and improving STEM education to ensure its effectiveness and relevance in contemporary society. The methods discussed include teacher training and professional development,…

In the context of future of academic librarianship terms such as "blended" and "embedded" librarian have been used to describe emerging greater levels of involvement within the universities enterprise. Simultaneously new pedagogical approaches are being developed towards more authentic and engaging learning experiences. This…

How to diagnose the effectiveness of creativity-related curricula is a crucial concern in the pursuit of educational excellence. This paper introduces an importance-performance analysis (IPA)-embedded model for curriculum evaluation, using the example of an IT project implementation course to assess the creativity performance deduced from student…

To meet the constantly changing needs of schools and diverse learners, educators must frequently monitor student learning, revise curricula, and improve instruction. Consequently, it is critical that careful analyses of student performance data are ongoing components of curriculum decision-making processes. The primary purpose of this study is to…

With the implementation of teacher performance pay in 2009 in China, teacher performance evaluation has become a heated topic. This research study follows up on two previous studies of teacher evaluation in China and continues the dialog by analyzing the latest trends in the context of teacher performance pay. There were two sources of information…

Background: All types of librarians are expected to possess information and computer skills to actively assist patrons in accessing information and in recognizing reputable sources. Mastery of information and computer skills is a high priority for library and information science programs since graduate students have varied multidisciplinary…

During the last few decades, a number of quality improvement methodologies have been used by organizations. This article provides a brief review of the quality improvement literature related to academia and a case study using Six Sigma methodology to analyze students' performance in a standardized examination. We found Six Sigma to be an effective…

This article argues that a "probabilistic" interpretation of competence can provide the basis for a link between assessment, teaching and learning, curriculum resources and policy development. Competence is regarded as a way of interpreting the quality of performance in a coherent series of hierarchical tasks. The work of Glaser is combined with…

Curriculum integration, focusing on multidisciplinary tasks/projects relevant to the real-world, lends itself to authentic assessment practices. However, attempting to incorporate assessment "of", "for", and "as" learning can be challenging. Using data from two mixed method case studies (n=52, n=27) which tracked middle school student learning…

Belief systems underlying assessment practices have thwarted curriculum reform efforts by promoting a narrow curriculum focus and emphasizing memorization and rote application. Authentic assessment in conjunction with standardized testing may more comprehensively evaluate student performance. Many educators' belief systems may be incompatible with…

Representing a shift toward performance based education, this content guide and framework is designed to help schools in Idaho develop a K-12 English language arts curriculum and program and formulate some realistic goals for themselves and their students. An introductory section discusses performance based education, goals for English language…

Describes a project in an elementary mathematics methods course in which preservice teachers developed performance assessment tasks then administered these tasks in a K-8 classroom. Presents the guiding framework for this project, the project design, and the teaching and learning experiences for project leaders and preservice teachers. Includes…

Notes that the curriculum standards under development by the National Council for the Social Studies incorporate authentic learning assessment tasks and suggest ways that civic participation experiences can be included and the subsequent learning assessed. Discusses instruction and assessment opportunities involving citizenship education. (RS)

This article explains how elementary teachers can link performance-based assessments and student self-assessments to the curriculum for improved learning. It provides graphic organizers, rubrics, and examples of student writings, and discusses ways to connect assessment and instruction, benefits for students (feedback and instruction), and…