This descriptive, longitudinal study investigated the emergent literacy skills of 45 children 4 and 5 years of age who were enrolled in an enrichment program for the gifted and talented. In two 10-week sessions conducted in subsequent years, children were requested to write a story and then read it aloud. Of central interest were four questions:…

Seven short articles on the use of standardized tests in the United States are presented. Topics include: (1) the effects on school restructuring during the 1990's of the backlash against standardized tests; (2) the movement to replace multiple-choice standardized testing and its relationship with curricular goals; (3) the influence of…

This document provides the case studies for an original report on the status of coordination among job related education and training programs. The document contains case studies of state-level coordination in Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Washington. It also includes a section on coordination in selected California…

The effectiveness of a state-mandated set of at-risk criteria to predict which students are likely to become dropouts is evaluated in this study of the Austin Independent School District (AISD). Descriptions of the district information delivery system, state criteria, and criteria operationalization are provided. Discriminant function analysis…

The ways in which a rating scale developed for problem-based medical curricula provides information that is useful in the area of curriculum reform were demonstrated in a study involving 95 first-year medical students at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec (Canada). The rating scale, based on the theory of problem-based learning of W. H.…

This document contains 15 chapters on various topics related to elementary science assessment. A comprehensive description of efforts to introduce alternatives to multiple-choice, paper and pencil tests to assess science learning is provided. The monograph includes an analysis of assessment issues, descriptions of current practice, and suggestions…

The Rasch model for test analysis is a latent-trait model, which specifies the relationship between observable test performance and the unobservable traits or abilities assumed under test performance. In most cases, the test constructor has no clue as to whether the latent traits postulated by the model are indeed the abilities he wants to…

Arts education and its assessment are discussed, with particular emphasis on the visual arts. Suggestions are made concerning the role of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in the arts. The curriculum which is presented in art education varies a great deal among schools. The assessment of art should include production,…

Educational quality and the organizational structure of the nation's educational system are examined in relation to the call for reform in American public education in this symposium paper. In "Introduction and Problem Statement," Robert H. Beach states that problems in American education stem from a structurally dysfunctional system,…

Designed to help rural students find employment and adjust to life in urban areas, the handbook provides basic information in six subject areas. Part I focuses on getting to know yourself by assessing past activities, preferences, abilities, personality, limitations, and values. Part II explores aspects of jobs and careers: being career oriented,…

This paper is based on a descriptive study of six elementary school secretaries. The study was undertaken to gain an understanding of the work of the school secretary and how this work might contribute to school effectiveness. Several research methods were combined in this study: onsite observations, interviews with secretaries and their…

This paper presents an instructional model for thinking skills and discusses implementing the model. Based on a unitary theory of human cognition and some basic assumptions about the conditions for successfully intervening in public education, the model can be implemented at any grade level within any instructional framework. Currently used models…

This paper reports the results from one of a series of related, collaborative studies carried out in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia, in 1979 and 1980, examining how young children acquire the skills to represent and solve addition and subtraction problems. The purpose of this study was to relate children's cognitive processing capabilities and…

This set of 21 performance tests in electronics technology was developed on the basis of a review of commercial and noncommercial instructional materials dealing with electronics technology. The tests, which were reviewed by a group of community college instructors and an advisory committee for electronics technology, address the following…

Competencies for production machine shop are provided for the second of four topic areas: saws, drills, and grinders. Each competency appears in a one-page format. It is presented as a goal statement followed by one or more "indicator" statements, which are performance objectives describing an ability that, upon attainment, will…