The role and influence of mandated testing in educational reform are reviewed. Mandated testing refers to large-scale (districtwide or statewide) multiple-choice testing programs used for policy purposes of evaluation and accountability, which includes nationally normed standardized achievement tests and tests custom-developed to reflect state and…

The utility of the proposed Program Evaluation Standards to educational practitioners, and the adequacy of some of the standards in addressing issues in evaluation in culturally and linguistically educational environments are discussed, drawing on the author's experience as Director of the Evaluation Assistance Center East in Arlington (Virginia).…

The National Academy of Education (NAE) Panel has drawn two major conclusions in its evaluation of the National Assessment Governing Board's (NAGB) efforts to set achievement levels for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). They are that the Angoff procedure is fundamentally flawed for the setting of achievement levels, and that…

Industrial and organizational psychologists for the Department of Defense have been working for the past 10 years to develop high fidelity measures of job performance for use in validating job selection procedures and standards. Information on developing and scoring performance exercises in the Job Performance Measurement (JPM) Project is…

Compensatory education describes the special programs and services provided to students who are not succeeding in school and who do not qualify for special education. Educators define these students as "at risk"--at risk of school failure and a difficult transition to productive adult life. A recent study of compensatory education by the…

Despite complaints from undergraduate students concerning language and pedagogical skills of international teaching assistants (ITAs), institutions of higher education continue to appoint ITAs to teach. Legislative mandates have appeared to assess and improve language and pedagogical skills of ITAs, and the academies have likewise responded with…

This digest summarizes a longer document with the same title that discusses the problem of using, training, and assessing international teaching assistants (ITAs) in undergraduate education. Legislative mandates have appeared to assess and improve language and pedagogical skills of ITAs, and academies have likewise responded with workshops and…

The periodic review and development of public library standards are undertaken by the Kansas State Library to best serve the public interest by insuring the quality of the state's public libraries. Standards are defined for the structure and governance of libraries. Service objectives and standards for automation and technology are defined.…

Portfolio evaluation process promotes thinking while it minimizes multiple-choice mentality. Some educators find that reviewing with the students what they learned, with consideration for the structure of knowledge, provides self-confidence for the pupils' next try. They need self-confidence to critique each other's work, before the teacher…

This booklet outlines 30 competencies for individuals working with people who have autism or other pervasive developmental disabilities. For each competency, three levels are defined. At level one, trainees show mastery by identifying, discussing, or defining the concepts and skills; at level two, trainees discuss, participate, design, use, and…

Selected papers are as follows: "Evolving Policy Paradigms and Legislative Implications for Vocational Assessment Services" (LeConte et al.); "Integrating Academic Competencies in Vocational Assessment, Education, and Training" (DeMoss, Horvath); "Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)" (Thomas et al.); "Selecting…

This pilot study was conducted in order to determine whether a virtual classroom can be assessed, and whether it can be done using already proven techniques for classroom environment assessment. Study participants were 20 graduate students in education enrolled in three different courses offered at a distance via the World Wide Web. Each of the…

Public universities' attitudes toward recent educational reforms affecting vocational education were examined through structured telephone interviews of personnel at state higher education agencies or coordinating boards and in the admissions offices of public flagship institutions in 48 states (Colorado and Nevada did not participate). Special…

This document provides the peer evaluation guidelines for Central Oregon Community College (COCC). It begins by identifying the goals of the peer team: to maintain and strengthen the quality of instruction at COCC; establish strong collegial ties among faculty members; offer positive suggestions to them for improvement as teachers; and evaluate…

Career and Technology Studies (CTS) is an optional program designed for Alberta's secondary school students. The program is designed to help junior and senior high school students do the following: develop skills they can apply in daily living now and in the future; investigate career options and make effective career choices; use technology…