A prerequisite for AfL to be successfully implemented in the classroom is the teachers' assessment practice. In many contexts, including the Norwegian, AfL has not been successfully dealt with during initial teacher education, and there is a need for qualified teachers to engage in professional development in AfL. This article first discusses…

The role of the School Curriculum Development Committee (SCDC) is discussed. The SCDC promotes education by supporting curriculum development relevant to the needs of schools in England and Wales. It keeps informed of curriculum development work and evaluates that work in the light of future needs of the school system. It also disseminates the…

The evolution of the California Assessment Program from its legislative origins in 1961 is discussed. The following topics are included: history; analysis and reporting of results; program impact; program assessment; and future changes in emphasis. (MH)

The British Columbia Learning Assessment Program is a province-wide program designed to aid in decision-making processes about curriculum revisions; preservice teacher education and in-service programs; resource allocations; and future research needs; and to inform various publics of educational attainment. The article provides an overview of the…

Describes the experience of an evaluation network being put into practice in Spain to encourage educational change. Outlines the most relevant conditions needed for educational change and develops the description of a school evaluation network that includes all the previously described conditions. (SLD)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a longitudinal study designed to measure changes in the knowledge, skills, and understandings of young Americans, ages 9, 13, 17, and 26-35. This overview discusses some special aspects of NAEP, and explains its history and governance. (MH) Aspect of National Assessment (NAEP) dealt with in…

An alcohol education program for youth, developed as a district project by the Nebraska Cooperative Extension Service, was evaluated using a responsive approach derived from Stake (1975). Rather than focusing on goals and objectives, the overall evaluation design responded to needs for descriptions of the program and participants' activities.…

"Cooltown@Roosevelt," an instructional technology program implemented in 2002-04 based on a five-year collaboration involving Vancouver School District in Washington state, Hewlett-Packard Corporation, and Comcast, provided high-risk students in six elementary classrooms with laptops and wireless internet access at school and at home. A…

This article describes the Israel Curriculum Centre and gives a brief history of its role in Israeli society. The goals of the centre include: publishing syllabuses for all subjects, developing instructional materials that correspond to the syllabuses, and diffusing and implementing instructional products based on the syllabuses. (RB)

This paper discusses the ways in which the Dutch National Institute for Curriculum Development impacts the Dutch educational system. It describes the way the institute carries out its development activities. Results of several studies on the impact of the institute's projects are reported. (RB)

The article examines the processes and challenges involved in conducting participatory research and evaluation in schools, by looking at a case study of a collaborative evaluation research that was conducted in a secondary school in Israel by two researchers and three teachers. It describes the experiences of the research team while conducting the…