This report summarizes and further develops ideas discussed at a national working session held on May 23, 2014, to examine issues and options associated with initially classifying English learners (ELs). It is the third in a series of guidance papers intended to support states in large-scale assessment consortia that are expected to move toward a…

Recent studies have raised concerns about the vagueness of alternate assessment eligibility guidelines, specifically, that students with mild disabilities (SWMD) have been inappropriately assigned to alternate assessment--alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). In this study, special education teachers (N = 317) were surveyed about SWMD in…

This article focuses on the assessment system at Western Governors University from the perspective of candidate assessment and performance and on the way in which this system is presented to the Board of Examiners of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Central to a successful review by the NCATE Board of Examiners…

The "Framework for High-Quality English Language Proficiency Standards and Assessments" (Framework) was conceived as a critical tool in states' efforts to ensure that their English learner (EL) students achieve English language proficiency (ELP) and, also, achieve at high levels academically. Building on the best knowledge from relevant research…

It's true that state standards often have way too much content and aren't written in a way that enhances classroom instruction and formative assessment. That's why this guide is invaluable for any educator who wants to ensure that standards actually lead to higher student achievement. The authors give you good reasons for why some content…

Few are challenged to create a general education curriculum for a new college, applying best practices while achieving articulation and accreditation of the program.

This report is a summary of a March 1994 meeting to agree on guidelines for making inclusion and accommodation decisions concerning students with disabilities in national and state large-scale assessments. Much of the discussion at the meeting focused on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Factors that lead to the exclusion of…

This manual provides suggestions for implementing a school improvement process using selected program and content areas from the Michigan State Board of Education-approved K-12 Program Standards of Quality. The suggestions were made by school district staffs that took part in the field test of the document during the 1983-84 school year. The first…

This manual is intended to provide you with the most current materials and tools available for the development of Maine's Personalized Alternate Assessment Portfolio (PAAPs) during the 2004-05 school year. The PAAP process, while very similar to that used in 2003-04, has been updated based on input from teachers and other training participants.…

This booklet briefly outlines the procedures to be followed by Pennsylvania school district administrators and state department of education officials in determining a school district's eligibility for state funds when the district operates its schools during a teacher strike. In order to qualify for state reimbursement, a school district must be…

The handbook presents guidelines for the use of occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) with special education students in the Louisiana public schools. An introductory section defines both therapies, considers their educational background, and discusses their relationship to adapted physical education. A procedural section examines…

This manual, a product of the Washington State Early Entrance Identification Committee, was designed to offer technical assistance to the school districts of Washington State. Its primary objective is to provide information to those districts seeking assistance in the identification of the exceptionally able child who does not meet the age…

The guidelines contained in this manual were written to outline the role of the visiting team members and the team leader and to familiarize the team with the details necessary to conduct a comprehensive external evaluation of Wisconsin secondary vocational programs. The responsibilities of school personnel are also spelled out so that team…

The purpose of this document is to assist members of the North Carolina Professional Practices Commission in the development of guidelines for teacher evaluation. The paper reviews the historical development of teacher performance appraisal and the implementation of the Teacher Performance Appraisal Instrument (TPAI) starting in the mid-1980s.…

The purpose of this self-evaluation manual is to provide the procedures and instrumentation through which vocational education program personnel may evaluate or re-evaluate the value and effectiveness of their program. The manual is based upon statewide goals and objectives of vocational education as determined in 1983 by the project advisory…