Using retrieved historical data, the Toronto Board of Education's Research and Assessment Department undertook to examine long-term tracking outcomes of the 1981 cohort of Grade 1 students. These 4,195 students, who had entered the Toronto (Canada) schools in 1981, were followed for over 14 years. Students who followed the traditional schedule of…

In 1991 Arizona embarked on a program to change schools and make them more accountable for educational achievement. The instrument of reform was an assessment program known as the Arizona Student Assessment Program (ASAP), the most notable feature of which was a performance assessment that was added to an already extensive battery of…

This paper attempts to define the role of special education and special educators in current educational reform efforts and to provide direction to the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE), by reviewing current reform initiatives in the context of the past, present, and future of educating children with…

This 1991-92 report for correctional education in Canada provides analysis as well as statistical information for education programs provided during the fiscal year. A national overview contains data dealing with effectiveness based on participation, efficiency based on student/teacher ratio, and efficiency based on cost per full-time equivalent…

An understanding of state accountability systems is critical in the discussion of educational reform. Clear and complete definitions of expectations for learners are needed before conducting educational assessments. This document describes findings of a study that examined six state accountability systems, with a focus on how they impacted…

The 1992-93 school year marked the first year of implementation of the statewide mandate of the Arizona Student Assessment Program (ASAP), which revised previous legislation. Iowa Test of Basic Skills testing requirements were restricted to grades 2 and 7, and districts were allowed greater flexibility in their own testing, which had previously…

The educational assessment quality assurance and control practices of Germany, Sweden, France, New Zealand, and Australia are compared to illustrate the considerable variety of approaches and some of the social factors that contribute to this variety. In Germany there is considerable variation from one province to another, and quality assurance…

The accountability testing programs of many states have begun to make extensive use of constructed-response questions and to report test results in terms of percentages of students at various proficiency or performance levels. This paper describes the step-by-step procedures for two standard-setting methods recently used for the New Hampshire…

Effects of introducing performance-based assessments into the classroom were studied by examining instruction, student learning, and teacher attitudes and practices. As part of the larger study, workshops were conducted with third-grade teachers from three schools engaged in constructing performance assessments of literacy. Data from transcripts…

Is the criticism of today's public schools and its employees unwarranted? This document highlights some data that cast the performance of American public schools in a more favorable light. Contrary to popular belief, today's students compare favorably with those in the past and with students in other countries. A higher percentage of American…

This paper describes the Advisement Intervention System at East Central Community College (ECCC) in Decatur, Mississippi, recognized by the Small/Rural Community College Commission as an "exemplary program." The paper also provides suggestions for revising or developing an advising program. Many advising programs are not adequate because…

This paper presents an overview of Florida's fiscal status and the state of its educational fiscal reform. Five areas of concern are identified regarding educational finance--adequacy of funding, educational reform initiatives including accountability, equity, alternative tax sources, and communication. These issues indicate a highly unstable…

Literacy and economic development are inextricably linked in the literature, often with little examination. There are five rationales for this relationship: economic objectives, social objectives, political objectives, endogenous pressures, and exogenous pressures. To achieve both understanding of literacy and improved literacy programming, better…

This paper uses systems theory and force field analysis to evaluate the potential for combining special education with America 2000 national educational strategy and goals. A brief history of educational reform attempts is followed by an explanation of systems theory and the school as a social system. Force field analysis is used as a tool for…

This report describes a project which developed and implemented a process for the ongoing identification of national information needed for improving programs and services to infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. The process involved creating a polling panel of stakeholder groups, creating a list of national program information…