The first of the National Education Goals states that by the year 2000 all children in America will start school ready to learn. Pressed by demands for greater accountability and enhanced educational performance, states are developing standards and creating new criteria and approaches for assessing achievement. Calls to assess young children are…

Recent increases in the speed and accessibility of computers and networks have made it possible to administer tests on-line. On-line assessment can be conducted in a controlled setting, such as a testing center, or distributed over local area networks or the Internet to libraries and student homes, allowing students the flexibility to complete…

The Modified-Revised Science Teacher's Behavior Inventory (MR-STBI) was used in earlier studies to analyze the teaching strategies emphasized in instruction in science classrooms. This analysis showed changes in teaching strategies that occurred as a result of science teachers' professional development through longer-term modeled,…

This report is one of a series of reports from a research project that focuses on the evaluation of laboratory work in secondary schools. The study focuses on 12 different laboratory tasks from the biology and chemistry courses of the Finnish comprehensive school. Secondary students (N=212) were observed during laboratory sessions and analysis of…

This paper examines the preventive model in special education and applies it to the assessment of gifted students and the delivery of educational services to them. First, characteristics of the model are identified, which include emphasis on the interaction between the learner and the environment, use of both formal and informal assessments, and…

Much of the tradition of performance measurement comes from the industrial part of the private sector, where work measurement looks at how to improve production. This approach does not translate well for entities that provide service. For them, a better approach is the change-agent model, which recognizes that the agency or program provides…

Designed for teachers, parents, and teacher educators who are looking for an accessible text on the topic of learning to read, this book's comprehensive scope encompasses standards for early literacy instruction, instructional strategies, alternative assessment procedures, strategies for making connections, and ways to integrate children's home…

State departments of education (SDEs) play a pivotal role in the implementation of state-level school reform. This role is examined using two models of statewide school reform in Kentucky and Vermont. How the departments implemented their plans and how such implementation affected the internal dynamics of the departments, as well as the external…

The benefits based management (BBM) approach to outdoor recreation programming is a technique focused on outcomes and benefits derived from participating in outdoor recreation activities. This approach can be used to establish the significance of college outdoor programs on campus. The four premises of BBM are the articulation of outcome-oriented…

The job analysis study described in this report was conducted to serve as one of the bases for documenting the content validity of the Praxis II Subject Assessment in German. The purpose was to describe the most important knowledge and skills domains needed by newly licensed (certified) German teachers in order to perform their jobs in a competent…

Different aspects of text comprehension and different evaluation procedures were studied for elementary school students. Indicators sensitive to the different levels of comprehension involved were used, and recall was divided into recall macro, micro, and total. The sample consisted of 90 sixth graders in the national capital region of Canada.…

This paper discusses various approaches educators can use to evaluate the reading skills of students who are deaf and hard of hearing, with special emphasis on reading fluency. Various assessment measures are described and examples of how mature users of American Sign Language read English are given. It highlights the use of a literacy portfolio,…

This guide is designed to provide Rhode Island educators and families with information about appropriate interventions, recommended referral procedures, recommended diagnostic procedures, and legal issues regarding students with attention deficit disorders. It begins by answering frequently asked questions about attentional disorders and…

The focus of second language education is communication, and oral language is central to the teaching of foreign language at all levels. Oral language in the foreign language classroom is the most problematic of all skills to assess. Teachers' concerns can be divided in the following areas: (1) What to assess: form or content; (2) How to assess:…

This document provides an overview of the rationale for, and characteristics of, individual growth and development indicators (IGDIs) for children birth to age 8 and their families. Development of such indicators is part of a 5-year project by the Early Childhood Research Institute Measuring Growth and Development to conduct research on, develop,…