Recent educational accountability efforts have married student assessments with reform mandates and sanctions. As a result, students--beginning in early elementary grades--are feeling the pressures of this new era of high-stakes accountability. This article chronicles a story of the consequences of high-stakes testing on a father and his son.…

This paper concentrates on the public and formal processes of reporting achievement. The topic is significant because employers, managers and graduate schools all use warrants when making selection and governance decisions. Should those warrants turn out to have, as we argue, local meanings, then selection and governance practices, amongst others,…

In many school districts, the pressure to raise test scores has created overnight celebrity status for formative assessment. Its powers to raise student achievement have been touted, however, without attending to the research on which these claims were based. Sociocultural learning theory provides theoretical grounding for understanding how…

The most recent attempt by educators to emulate the "sound principles" and methods of business and science is to become data-driven. The leaders in a data-driven school are able to demonstrate how some number, preferably scores on standardized tests, has moved upward as a result of some program they have initiated. Data-driven schools also possess…

No matter which community people live in, they are bound to hear educators deliberating on topics such as quality assurance, data-driven decision making, and curriculum restructuring. Whether these discussions involve parents, teachers, administrators, school board members, or community leaders, two issues consistently emerge: the demand for…

Discusses the actual uses to which achievement test scores are put in the college admissions process (according to survey findings) and factors that should be considered when treating test scores as admission criteria. (PGD)

This book explores the key issues of learner assessment in terms of who it is for, what modes of assessment exist, what makes for sound assessment, why assessment is done, what agencies are promoting innovative methods of assessment, and the catalysts for change. Practical suggestions on how to assess more effectively are provided, including…

Describes the range of policies, criteria, and weightings used in the process of selecting among candidates for admission in 19 public and private colleges and universities. Notes the need for adequate communications between colleges and the schools previously attended by candidates. (PGD)

Assessment provides information with which to make informed decisions about learners and programs and to support the learner through the educational experience. A comprehensive assessment system should contain information about learner goals, background, interests, skills, and attitudes; appropriate instruments; standards; and feedback to the…

Describes the concept of school readiness and considers the purpose, content, and process of assessing children's school readiness. Notes that early childhood assessment is undertaken for numerous purposes but that these purposes are not always clear. Delineates different purposes for collecting data and discusses critical principles that could…

The role of educational research is examined, focusing on its relationship to the classroom teacher's efforts to promote student learning. After a discussion of the relationship between education and psychology, the individual roles of educational research are discussed; the latter include increasing and disseminating knowledge and assessing…

Although there is disagreement among educators about performance standards and their relationship to student performance, performance standards are central to the reforms under way in many states and large school districts, including Philadelphia. They are also mentioned explicitly in the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and in the re-authorization…

Ways to improve the validity of assessment of college students are discussed. Validity problems often have occurred because the purpose of assessment was not clear. Traditionally, college students have been tested for admission and placement. However, the results of these tests have been used for other purposes, such as comparing institutions.…

This report discusses the purposes and nature of various forms of assessment that can be used to enhance, support, and monitor the progress of science learning in elementary school classrooms. Chapters included are: (1) "Introduction" (describing assessment priorities); (2) "Issues in Assessment" (discussing validity, correspondence between…

This paper argues that education in the United States will be increasingly intertwined with and impacted by federal expectations, requirements, and standards. The paper describes the impacts and effects of national goals and national assessment on K-12 and higher education. A review of state and federal responses to "A Nation at Risk"…