To say that assessments must be authentic, dynamic, fluid, and formative is not to say that normative, standardized evaluations have no place in the overall assessment scheme. What is needed is a combination and balance of assessments. The tri-assessment model promotes using traditional assessments along with portfolio and performance assessments.…

This study sought to separate the effect of concentrated poverty on students' academic achievement and to develop a simple method for demonstrating that effect. The study was conducted in a midwestern urban school district with characteristics particularly suitable for answering these questions. It used two years worth of data on elementary school…

Using Guilford County (North Carolina) School District's implementation of North Carolina ABCs legislation as a backdrop, this paper discusses the unintended consequences that school-improvement plans create for administration. The ABCs legislation ties a large-scale testing program to a requirement that each school develop a community-supported…

One of the consequences of Ohio's educational accountability efforts mandated under Ohio Senate Bill 55 (SB 55) and the traditional testing programs of Ohio school districts is the generation of huge amounts of data. In order for school-based educators to organize and explore these voluminous amounts of information, they need exposure to…

This paper reports on a study of the foundation and application of two procedures used to specify appropriate weights to be applied to components in determining the overall quality of a school. These procedures are multiattribute utility technology (MAUT) and policy capturing, and the paper presents the results of applying them, using key…

This guide provides an overview of the naturalization process and what it means to Hispanic immigrants, describes techniques for integrating English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and civics/history content in multilevel classes, offers directions for filling out the naturalization forms and completing the legal steps to naturalization, and provides…

From primary grades, students are exposed to both standardized and classroom tests. While teacher-made classroom tests may contain multiple choice, constructed response, or essay items, standardized tests, on the other hand, primarily rely on the multiple-choice format. Standardized tests are easy and inexpensive to administer and score, amenable…

Standardized college-level tests of thinking have serious drawbacks, but they can be used effectively to compare results with other teachers or researchers and to suggest possible ways of measuring aspects of thinking in faculty-constructed tests. Faculty-designed tests should provide opportunities for students to use the important knowledge and…

Three short articles about mathematics and science braille are provided for braille transcribers and teachers of the visually handicapped. The first article discusses the differences between the rules for English textbook format and the Nemeth Braille Code (for mathematics, science, and notation) format in transcribing the mathematical section of…

Results covering a period of two years (including three academic years) fail to give any evidence that elementary school children who are bussed do any better academically than those who remain in inner-city schools. (Author/AM)

The Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning--Revised (DIAL-R) is a standardized developmental screening instrument designed to assess the motor, language (both receptive and expressive), and conceptual skill levels of children 2 to 6 years of age. The appropriateness of national norms for children in Kentucky was studied in a…

Commercial achievement tests often provide limited instructional guidance and seldom provide feedback specific to any given classroom. The most instructionally relevant achievement tests are those developed by an individual teacher for use with a particular class. This digest describes the steps of test construction and presents suggestions for…

A study investigated the validity and reliability of grades and credits earned by students in the five academic departments of biological sciences (33 majors), organic chemistry and biology (106 majors) at a large public university. Validity was assessed by comparing grades assigned by faculty with scores earned on subject-related standardized…

Based on material prepared for the California Assessment Program, an argument in favor of authentic assessment is presented, and authentic assessment is contrasted with traditional standardized tests. An assessment is authentic when student performance on intellectual tasks is directly examined. Comparatively, traditional assessment relies on…

This digest offers guidance in identifying and nurturing mathematical talent in children. Mathematical talent is defined and the characteristics of mathematically talented students are listed. Some mathematically talented students do not achieve well in school mathematics due to a mismatch between the student and the mathematics program. Ways that…