Discusses the educational jargon that accompanies President Clinton's proposed national test of student performance and the jargon that describes assessment in "cutting-edge" Vermont. Asks who gets to establish national requirements; contends that national standards mean a national curriculum and the end of local school control. (PA)

A big problem with performance tests and standards is their specificity, or lack of generalizability. "Keeping no secrets" and "teaching to the test" for performance tasks and traditional tests are absolutely necessary if schools are to prepare students adequately to meet performance standards. This nontraditional approach…

The time demands of authentic tasks and consistent scoring pose technical and practical challenges. Involving teachers in test development and scoring helps them grasp what is expected, gain familiarity with examples of standards-based practice, and discover new ways to assess their students' work. Costs are considerably higher than for…

The two articles in this special section, combined with two previous articles, discuss the use of portfolios in large-scale assessment. Ten years ago, there was great interest in portfolio assessment in state testing programs, but no large-scale program relies on portfolios at the present time. These articles continue to consider their uses. (SLD)

Discusses appropriate ways to prepare students for performance assessments and proposes a list of six guidelines for teaching to performance assessments. The focus is on elementary and secondary education. It is believed that these guidelines will help balance the domain and sample problem. (SLD)

Examines measurement concepts and assumptions traditionally used in educational assessment, using the Early Adolescence/English Language Arts assessment developed for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as a context. The use of numerical ratings in complex performance assessment is questioned. (SLD)

Discusses briefly the standards movement and content standards for oral communication. Describes "New Standards" as one model for incorporating the domain of oral communication into an influential, nationally-based program for performance assessment. Discusses five principles regarding speaking/listening/viewing that are incorporated…

Among six guidelines for portfolio assessment are (1) identify the goals of the portfolio; (2) determine type of portfolio to be used; and (3) establish procedures for organizing the portfolio. Insets explain performance-based assessment and use of portfolio assessment to comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of…

Offers guidelines and examples for the use of portfolios with early childhood and elementary age children with disabilities. Topics addressed include what a portfolio is and looks like, how a portfolio is organized, what is included in a portfolio, the selection process for deciding the portfolio contents, and portfolio evaluation and reporting.…

As principals become more accountable for student achievement, evaluation policies and procedures should be carefully crafted. Evaluation should focus on school improvement, be performance-based and aligned with job junctions, define performance expectations, promote buy-in and collaboration among administrators, promote growth and improved…

Explores whether standards-based reform can drive school improvement using data from two Canadian monitoring systems to illustrate the main points. Outlines some of the dilemmas associated with monitoring and offers suggestions about how to tighten the link between monitoring and learning. Whether performance based assessment increases student…

Tested a model of the influence of homework on classroom performance using a sample of 429 students in grades 2 and 4, their parents, and their 28 teachers. Data reveal the critical role of parents in both the homework process and the success of elementary school students. Positive parent involvement in homework was the strongest predictor of…

Argues that the goal of enhancing fairness and equity in the evaluation of students with learning difficulties will not be realized by merely introducing performance assessments. Suggests need for development of an empirical base to guide implementation and to reevaluate prevailing beliefs about student failure and the role of assessment in…

A study examined the combined effects of class wide instruction on performance assessment tasks and problem solving instruction in ad hoc tutoring in mathematics on six students with learning disabilities. The two interventions led to demonstrable differences over time when compared to students who did not receive this kind of instruction.…

Examines three student accountability measures (standardized tests, performance-based assessment, and structural assessment) through two different theoretical perspectives: structural functionalism and feminist poststructuralism. Educators can use various kinds of assessments in ways that maintain the status quo or support equity and justice for…