Under the 1998 reauthorization of Title II of the Higher Education Act, the secretary of education is required to issue annual reports to Congress on the state of teacher quality nationwide. "Meeting the Highly Qualified Teachers Challenge" is the inaugural report on this important issue. The 1998 reauthorization also established a…

With the growth of standardized assessment benchmarks in both the public and private paradigms, testing performance matters to institutions more than ever. In an attempt to take as many hindering variables out of this process, such as test anxiety, socioeconomic influences, and latency in cognition, Improvisation: A Complement to Curriculum seeks…

This case study, part of the State Structures for the Governance of Higher Education study, focuses on governance and related issues in Georgia's higher education system. The study's overall purpose was to examine differences among states in their governance structures, and to determine if differences in performance were related to governing…

This booklet presents results from four survey questions asked of the audience and papers presented at a 1995 teleconference on assessment issues with African American adolescents and adults with learning disabilities. An introductory paper, "Multiple Factors Impacting the Assessment and Instruction of African American Adolescents and Adults…

This second volume of the Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System (AEPS) Test and its associated curriculum, begins with an overview of the test and a discussion on the purpose and value of the assessment and evaluation of young children. Chapter 3 describes the target population for the AEPS Test and the use of the test with children with…

These workshop materials, meant to accompany the trainer's manual to "Assessment: A Development Guidebook for Teachers of English-Language Learners," consist of individual sheets suitable for making clear transparencies and paper copies as needed for overhead transparencies, workshop participant handouts, and examples of…

This book is designed to help readers reflect upon their personal approaches to open and distance learning (ODL) assessment and to adapt their techniques to benefit learners. Part A explores issues and themes in ODL assessment. It examines key terms in assessment; the important relationship between assessment and learning; unique issues of…

The impact of testing accommodation on the performance of students with limited English proficiency (LEP) was studied, focusing on the possibility of differential impact of accommodation strategies on subgroups formed based on students' background characteristics and the validity of assessments using accommodated versus nonaccommodated…

This study sought to address concerns that high levels of literacy in both English and local languages are not being attained by children in U.S.-affiliated Pacific entities served by Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). The study was designed to answer the following question: Do classroom language use and instructional practices…

The process of assessment in career and technical education (CTE) is changing significantly under the influence of forces such as emphasis on assessment for individual and program accountability; emphasis on the investigation of consequences of assessment; emergence of item response theory, which supports computer adaptive testing; and pressure…

Focus groups were used to examine the needs of students taking a computer adaptive math assessment. The assessment designed using universal design and item response theory. Focus groups included teachers, administrators, child advocacy groups, and 3rd grade students and parents from the following groups: students with disabilities, students in…

A comprehensive review was conducted of writing research literature and writing test program activities in a number of testing programs. The review was limited to writing assessments used for admission in higher education. Programs reviewed included ACT, Inc.'s ACT™ program, the California State Universities and Colleges (CSUC) testing program,…

Academic achievement under a four-day school week is compared to the traditional five-day school week. Test scores from the CAT [California Achievement Test], ITBS [Iowa Test of Basic Skills], TASK [Stanford Test of Academic Skills], SAT [Stanford Achievement Test], TAP [Tests of Academic Proficiency], and MAT [Metropolitan Achievement Test] were…

The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is the primary measure of student achievement applied to the grading of the Florida public schools. School grades utilize a point system in which schools are awarded one point for every percent of students: (1) scoring in achievement levels 3-5 in Reading; (2) demonstrating learning gains in…

This report summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of administering the Physical Education Assessment Report (PEAR) during its pilot year in Austin Independent School District (AISD).