If rewards are to be used as a school-reform tool, their formats must be more closely tailored to the organizational characteristics of schools and to the purpose of improving teaching and learning. This paper describes lessons learned from Kentucky's collective incentive system, the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS). The…

A study examined the systemic reform process initiated in Maryland in 1991. The Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) consists of learning outcomes, a framework for performance assessment, guidelines for school decision making, and suggestions for staff development. One year following the initiation of the MSPAP, semi-structured…

Designed to help educators examine their current student assessment practices and ensure that assessment activities lead to real improvements, this paper lists and discusses nine principles for assessing student learning. The nine principles are: (1) the assessment of student learning begins with educational values; (2) assessment is most…

Opinions of contract grading were received from 51 undergraduate education majors and 28 graduate students majoring in education in Acadia University (Nova Scotia, Canada). Students at both educational levels reacted to contract grading in a clear and decisivly positive manner. They agreed that the grading system and assignments were made clear…

An overview of accountability in public education is presented in this publication. Contents include a review of recent accountability efforts, an outline of a comprehensive accountability model, an analysis of accountability strategies, and a discussion of means for incorporating system indicators into the larger systemic framework. A conclusion…

A study examined the effectiveness of five mandatory welfare employment programs in working with different segments of the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) caseload. The study considered programs in San Diego, California; Baltimore, Maryland; several counties in Virginia; Little Rock and another county in Arkansas; and Cook County…

The Achievement Based Curriculum (ABC) is a process for training teachers how to plan, assess, prescribe, teach, and evaluate instruction for all children. Project I CAN is a research database designed and organized to be used by physical educators and classroom teachers. The materials cover the scope (preprimary through secondary) and essential…

Data are reported on the performance of the total available prekindergarten population affiliated with the School District of Philadelphia as its "graduates" proceeded through the school years. The report covers three cohorts--those entering kindergarten in the fall of 1974, 1975, and 1976--from the two major prekindergarten programs in…

An investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of a reading and study skills program for students taking a great number of courses that require quantitative reasoning, as well as other skills. Subjects were 53 freshmen enrolled at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. All of the subjects had failed one or more courses. A…

This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of two types of vocational education programs in improving students' social and vocational adjustment and success. In a comparison between dropout rehabilitation and high school vocational graduates, 92 graduates of the Oklahoma City Manpower Development and Training Act (MDTA) Youth Program…

A field test was designed and conducted to examine the effectiveness of Arizona-designed career education units, particularly to examine the units' success in terms of their ability to affect positively students' cognitive, affective, and psychomotor behavior according to expressed performance and behavioral objectives. Fourteen career education…

This paper presents a working definition of educational accountability, reasons for the accountability movement in education, events and major problems. Educational accountability is a process of setting goals, making available adequate resources to meet those goals, and conducting regular evaluation to determine if the goals are met. The reasons…

Educational accountability is examined from the viewpoint of (1) history--the development of the concept from that of cost accounting to one of the educator's responsibility to parents and taxpayers; (2) new requirements of the Ohio state government for yearly reports on student skills in various subject areas according to sex, race, size of…

"Online Assessment, Measurement and Evaluation: Emerging Practices" provides a view of the possibilities and challenges facing online educators and evaluators in the 21st Century. As technology evolves and online measurement and assessment follow, "Online Assessment, Measurement and Evaluation: Emerging Practices" uses…

This action research project evaluated a program for improving motor skills in kindergartners by incorporating into the core curriculum motor activities, new materials focused on motor skills, and authentic assessments of motor skills. Teacher observations, scores from the DIAL-R (Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Revised)…