Guidance is offered in Spanish on the creation and use of alternative assessment, and a process model is presented that links assessment with curriculum and instruction, based on contemporary theories of learning and cognition. The introductory chapter provides background on the purposes of assessment and the need for new alternatives, with an…

This document describes performance assessments (PAs) (alternative assessments or authentic assessments). PA requires students to perform a task rather than select an answer on a ready-made list. Some methods that have been used successfully to assess performance include open-ended or extended response exercises, extended tasks, and portfolios.…

The close scrutiny of literature study and how literature is currently taught and learned reveals major findings in four crucial areas of educational concern: critical thinking, cultural diversity, assessment of achievement, and at-risk students. Currently, literature instruction is focused on information retrieval, and remains unconcerned with…

"The ERIC Review" is published three times a year and announces research results, publications, and new programs relevant to each issue's theme topic. This issue explores performance-based assessment via two principal articles: "Performance Assessment" (Lawrence M. Rudner and Carol Boston); and "Alternative Assessment:…

Current assessment practices in the classroom can affect the movement toward a child-centered curriculum in mathematics education. The mathematical community is addressing the challenge to implement standards in the areas of testing, assessment, and accountability in order to maintain this movement. This digest: (1) discusses what makes current…

Instructors of professional courses such as advertising copywriting need to exercise caution in assigning grades to their students' creative work. Some alternative assessment methods can equally emphasize process and product. One successful technique is "praiseworthy grading," which shifts the focus from fault-finding to appreciation of…

The project is motivated by Taiwan's huge gap of educational levels between the aborigines and the Hans. The low achievement of aboriginal students lies in factors related to problems in finance, health, and cultural difference, which contribute to their sense of self-deprecation. The purpose of the project is to provide early intervention and…

This book is about the assessment and inclusion of all students, including those with disabilities, in statewide and district assessment programs. It addresses aspects of assessment such as testing practices, test content, legal guidelines, technical aspects of tests, students' learning objectives, and instructional programs. Throughout the book,…

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…

This report examines issues concerning the provision of accommodations for students with disabilities participating in state and district assessments. The report considers what an accommodation is, what kinds of accommodations are available, who should make the decision regarding accommodations, when accommodations should be used, and how…

The first issue of the Educational Policy Reform Research Institute's (EPRRI)publication, "Policy Updates," introduces the Institute and briefly reports on three key elements of accountability. It notes that EPRRI investigates the impact of educational accountability on students with disabilities and on special education. The Institute…

This report describes one approach toward setting standards to determine performance level cut scores for an alternative assessment for students with disabilities. First, it considers requirements for inclusion of students with disabilities in educational assessments under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The proposed methodology…

Rural Trust schools and communities embrace an education that values what is unique to a particular place in an effort to promote mutual school and community well-being. This local focus engages students academically, pairing real world relevance with intellectual rigor. It also develops skills that promote citizenship, such as decision making,…

This training manual is designed to provide information that will help Missouri educators understand and implement new state requirements regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities in the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP). It addresses the following topics: (1) reasons for including students with disabilities in a state assessment…

Conflicting policy decisions, scaling difficulties, teacher resistance, and mediocre results are slowing adoption of authentic student-evaluation measures. With more conservative state leadership, California and Arizona rejected performance assessment, and other states have followed. Despite various setbacks, new assessments are becoming the norm.…