This report provides short descriptions of systemic approaches for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding including: (1) 21st Century Classroom; (2) Comprehensive Professional Development; (3) Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems; (4) Formative Assessment; (5) Digital Content; (6) Virtual Learning; and (7) Learning Management Systems.

Curriculum design gurus Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, authors of "Understanding by Design," coined the term "backwards design." They recommend educators to begin with the question: What would we accept as evidence that students have attained the desired understandings and proficiencies--"before" proceeding to plan teaching and learning…

A recent employer survey sponsored by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills found that the skills new job entrants most need for success in the workplace--oral and written communication, time management, critical thinking, problem solving, personal accountability, and the ability to work effectively with others--are the areas in which recent…

This book provides educators with a flexible framework to guide decision making for effective and efficient use of portfolios in classrooms and schools. It targets major categories of decision making, as reflected in the first 10 chapters: (1) "Determining the Basics of Student Portfolios"; (2) "Selecting Categories for Entries"; (3) "Identifying…

The model competency-based education assessments for mathematics have been developed in cooperation with the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics (OCTM) task force for implementing National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards for Grades 1 through 8. Three types of assessment for each grade are presented. The first type of model…

To say that assessments must be authentic, dynamic, fluid, and formative is not to say that normative, standardized evaluations have no place in the overall assessment scheme. What is needed is a combination and balance of assessments. The tri-assessment model promotes using traditional assessments along with portfolio and performance assessments.…

In a previous paper the authors presented a model of assessing portfolios, the Cognitive Model for Assessing Portfolios (CMAP), as a lens to view, think about, and make decisions about portfolio projects. Two projects in which the CMAP has been used are described. One is an authentic assessment project in mathematics and science by the Educational…

Field testing of the portfolio model in selected career and technology education (C&TE) programs and support documents was conducted during the 1995-96 school year. The model was used by 16 child care and early childhood professions teachers and 4 horticultural science teachers in Texas with 366 students. The teachers, who received training in…

Establishing and refining a framework for performance assessment is especially difficult in large-scale settings that can involve hundreds of judges and thousands of students. This presentation advocates the interactive use of two complementary analytic perspectives and illustrates the approach in the context of the College Entrance Examination…

Reviews personalized instruction models, highlighting contributions of DPIE (diagnosis, prescription, implementation, and evaluation), continuous-progress education, the open-school movement, portfolio assessment, cognitive apprenticeships, and Levin's Accelerated Learning program. All these models profile learning characteristics and promote…

This monograph, which was developed for home economics teachers, describes six alternative assessment techniques and contains sample assessment instruments and guide sheets. Discussed in the introduction are factors contributing to the increasing popularity of alternative assessment and the distinguishing features of the alternative assessment…

The National Consortium on Inclusive Schooling Practices (1996) developed a framework to analyze state and local policies and their effects on school inclusion. The framework focuses on standards-based systemic reform across six major policy areas: curriculum, student assessment, accountability, personnel development and professional training,…

For over thirty years, portfolios have been used to help adult learners gain recognition for their prior learning and take greater control of their educational experiences. The portfolio has become a distinctive means of assessing such learning, serving as a meaningful alternative to conventional papers and standardized testing. This book provides…

The use of portfolio assessment in the Dallas (Texas) Independent School District and the future of portfolio assessment are discussed. A literature review is followed by a description of the development process that preceded the Chapter 1 portfolio assessment of the Dallas schools. Portfolio results are then compared to the standardized measures…

This guide provides assessment models to those involved in planning and implementing workplace assessment and certification systems, including systems supported by the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. Chapter 2 presents the following: a kindergarten-through-career vision for cross-industry assessment; a plan for spanning the needs and goals of…