This final report describes the outcomes of Project MAPS (Monitoring Authentic Problem Solving), a project that developed multimedia computer-managed assessment environments to overcome the barriers educators face in using problem-solving performance assessment (PSPA) with students with disabilities. MAPS software was developed for 6 alternate…

The urgent need for an effective performance-based assessment tool that can make the connection between effective teaching and student learning has spurred action by expert educators. The Teacher Work Sample Methodology (TWSM) is a quality assurance system that can assess what students learn, how well they learn it, progress they make in their…

This paper examines four aspects of current high stakes testing that impact minority students and others traditionally underserved by American education. Data from research conducted at Boston College over 30 years highlight 4 issues: high stakes, high standards tests do not have a markedly positive effect on teaching and learning; high stakes…

This action research project evaluated a program to improve student motivation. The targeted population consisted of sixth- and eleventh-grade students in grammar/literature, physical education, and social studies classes in suburban Chicago. Three interventions were selected: incorporation of multiple intelligence strategies, implementation of…

The literature on college faculty in 1996 has increased; however, two themes described in the practice literature--identifying and rewarding exemplary teaching and experimental pedagogies--are only minimally represented in the research literature. The Carnegie Foundation, the American Association for Higher Education, and the Council for the…

This paper describes an approach for expanding assessment opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding of content. The targeted population consisted of elementary and junior high school students in two schools in a growing middle-class community in north central Illinois. The elementary school enrolled 467 students and the junior…

This booklet is designed to help parents and community members answer questions about assessment in the context of the Vermont Framework of Standards, the Equal Education Opportunity Act of 1997, and other statewide initiatives. Assessment is changing in Vermont in response to new legislative mandates that call for standards-based assessment…

A knowledge monitoring assessment (KMA) was developed and evaluated. The KMA, which evaluates how well students distinguish between what they know and do not know by comparing their knowledge estimates to test performance, is partially performance based and may be group or computer administered and objectively scored. Participants were 462…

Tests are being used widely, and misused widely, to evaluate students, teachers, principals, and other educational administrators. This short primer on testing and assessment is organized into three parts. Part 1, "Essential Statistical Terms," introduces some statistics that are essential to understanding testing concepts and for…

Addresses the discord between school-reform efforts and many jurisdictions' accountability requirements. The paper explores the elements of school accountability systems that aid and impede innovative practice. Information comes from principals at 20 reforming schools who spoke about the impact of accountability tests on school reform. (SM)

Argues that assessment must be authentic and occur in optimal contexts, and that such assessment should help teachers make instructional decisions. Describes the dramatically accelerated learning of a 10-year-old boy in a learning-handicapped classroom after his teacher worked intensively with the Optimal Learning Environment project and began to…

This article presents an interview with Professor Ralph W. Tyler (a pioneer in the field of education and assessment) that lends some historical perspective to the current alternative assessment movement. After highlighting Tyler's contributions, the article provides six caveats on assessment, then reflects on Tyler's work. (SM)

Describes the evolution of preservice teacher technology courses at the University of Northern Colorado (Greeley, CO). Highlights include technology integration; student teaching requirements; student attitudes about technology; revised curricula that include state and professional organization technology standards, performance-based assessments,…

Discusses the need for educational environments that allow for authentic learning. Shows how the Internet enables practice in which students are able to manipulate concepts for the sake of getting things done and receiving feedback regarding how well the application of an understanding worked. Provides examples of three learning activities on the…

Discusses the roles of testing and assessment in meeting real academic goals in standards-based reform, arguing that performance-based alternative assessment has advantages over high stakes testing. To help teachers design appropriate alternative assessment, the paper offers suggestions on what they should know and be able to do according to the…