The primary purpose of the investigation was to determine the extent to which (a) the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment (WAA) adequately measures the skills and concepts that make up the curriculum and instruction of students with significant disabilities; and (b) the WAA adequately measures the concepts and skill areas represented in Wisconsin's…

Elaborates the final step of Polya's heuristic model, reflecting, to improve students' problem-solving performance. After checking answers for accuracy, the following steps are suggested: (1) test reasonableness and practicality; (2) write a summary paragraph; (3) find other solutions; (4) change the conditions; and (5) extend the problem. (MKR)

Current national efforts at education reform rely largely on the use of standardized testing, the cornerstone of federal education policy as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, with its requirements for regular testing of all students and demonstrations of adequate yearly progress on tests by all schools. The challenges…

This case study provides a practical example of collaborative action research at work in a classroom setting, and illustrates how collaborative action research can be used to help teachers answer questions about their own practice and professional development. Following a review of the available research and historical foundations for…

Learning about tests will help parents help their children perform better on all types of assessments. This guide explains the many types of tests that students can take and describes the benefits and limitations of each. Test use and improving test performance are discussed. Assessment usually takes place for purposes of instruction, screening,…

This booklet contains 51 abstracts of papers presented at the 1992 conference for the Research Council for Diagnostic and Prescriptive Mathematics (RCDPM). Topics covered include: the use of expressive writing to enhance metacognition, adult assessment, cooperative learning assessment, visualization in problem solving, deaf students' beliefs about…

The long-range goal of Louisiana's teacher professional accountability programs is to enhance student learning by providing opportunities for teachers to strengthen skill areas and by identifying those aspects of teaching performance that may need improvement. "Strategies for Effective Teaching in the 21st Century" is intended to be used…

This introductory packet provides information on cultural concerns that should be considered in addressing barriers to student learning. Topics discussed include: (1) what is meant by ethnicity; (2) the importance of considering culture; (3) characteristics of culturally competent programs; (4) reasons school staff should be concerned about…

"Adventures in Assessment" is an annual journal of the system for Adult Basic Education Support (SABES), a comprehensive training and technical assistance initiative for adult literacy educators and programs. SABES accomplishes this goal through staff and program development workshops, consultation, mini-courses, mentoring, peer…

The specific focus of this research was to determine how the outcomes on two alternative forms of assessment (multiple-choice and hands-on/manipulative) for science process skills were related when students were grouped on the basis of sex, race/ethnicity, and poverty level. Subjects were 1,381 fourth graders in a culturally diverse city school…

A survey was conducted among 1,022 school board members and administrators to determine nationwide school district testing practices. Of the districts represented at the 1976 convention of the National School Boards Association which were included in the sample, 75% reported the existence of district-wide testing programs. The various types of…

Accountability for students with disabilities who receive special education services is now a result of policy requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. Together these pieces of federal legislation require that students participate in statewide…

This collection of papers examines the issue of minority and female deans in colleges of education, offering the current thinking by a group of minority and female deans of education. Part 1, "Changing Leadership: Tensions within Academic and Social Roles," presents the first four chapters: (1) "Surviving the Middle Passage: The Absent Legacy of…

This book provides comprehensive information on the assessment of children with disabilities. It describes formal and informal procedures for assessing student abilities and achievement, and assessment considerations for special populations. The text is divided into six major parts. Part 1, "Introduction to Assessment: Issues and Concerns,"…

This guide for those in the "High Schools That Work" initiative is designed to help teachers use classroom assessment to motivate students to work harder to meet challenging standards; to get students to organize information, make interdisciplinary connections, synthesize new knowledge, and draw conclusions from what they learn; to…