This preliminary study examines the perceptions of mentoring relationships between cooperating teachers and student teachers as they impact practicum success or failure. Student teachers (N=74) and cooperating teachers (N=13) at 2 teacher preparation sites were asked to respond either orally or in writing to 3 questions: (1) When you think of a…

This report presents performance data and the standards of performance that form the basis of school improvement in Maryland. The report reflects an accountability system that is central to the Maryland School Performance Program (MSPP) and that is designed to move the state toward high quality education. The report includes Maryland School…

This paper describes the task analysis of performance-based science tasks that were designed for the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment, now postponed until 1996, and field tested in 1993. A brief description of the science performance tasks is followed by a description of the task analyses performed and a…

This document presents the framework of standards in New York state for mathematics, science, and technology at elementary, intermediate, and commencement levels. This revised edition incorporates changes to the content standards and performance indicators based on extensive review by the public. As educational practice improves, these standards…

On-line performance assessment was developed to maximize the usefulness of performance assessment and to minimize the time and labor costs incurred. This paper reports on the development of an on-line performance assessment instrument, focusing on the establishment and validation of the scoring rubric and its implementation in the Rasch model, the…

California was a pioneer in new forms of student assessment through a system entitled the "California Learning Assessment System" (CLAS). For different reasons, several interest groups objected to the CLAS, which has been discontinued. The history of the CLAS program sheds light on the future of testing policy in California and perhaps…

This research report is a summary of the information the Council of Great City Schools gathered in a survey of members about the development of standards and assessments in 1995. Some 77% (36) of the 47 member districts responded to the survey, which asked about the impetus for standards and assessment development, the areas in which they are…

Over the last decade, concern over the nation's global economic status and the role of public education in preparing workers has led to a push for standards reform. Two converging reform strategies have emerged: (1) to create a voluntary system of academic standards for K-12 students, and (2) to create a voluntary system of industry-skill…

This study examined gender-related differential item functioning (DIF) using a mathematics performance assessment, the QUASAR Cognitive Assessment Instrument (QCAI), administered to middle school students. The QCAI was developed for the Quantitative Understanding: Amplifying Student Achievement and Reading (QUASAR) project, which focuses on…

Issues related to linking tests with constructed response items were explored, specifically by comparing single-group and anchor-test designs to link raw scores from alternate forms of performance-based student assessments in the context of Delaware's assessment program using performance-based assessment. This study explored use of the two test…

The relationship construct between physicians and patients was explored in the context of medical education and evaluation focusing on the clinical performance of third-year medical students. The Relationship Instrument, a performance-based assessment, was constructed to measure interpersonal and communication skills of the physician interacting…

A study was conducted at Saint Louis Community College, in Missouri, to determine the characteristics that students associated with excellence in teaching. In the first phase of the study, an open-ended questionnaire was administered to 497 full-time students enrolled primarily in English, Natural Sciences, the Social Sciences, and Business…

Some of the reasons efforts are being made to reform education are discussed, and how these reforms are likely to affect U.S. schools is explored. Data collected annually by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) indicate that almost all states have some form of assessment that is administered to all students at one or more grade…

This special serial issue is based on the proceedings of an invitational conference on "Next Steps in Inner-City Education" held in Racine (Wisconsin) in October 1995. The three articles in this publication attempt to offer effective and practical recommendations for educational practitioners and policy makers who seek to transform the country's…

Is it possible for state legislation designed to initiate systemic school reform to influence curriculum, instruction, and assessment at the classroom and building level? This paper presents findings of a longitudinal study of Oregon educators' reactions to school-reform legislation since it was passed in 1991. The Oregon Educational Act for the…