The accuracy and fairness of standardized testing is taken very seriously in the education world. These issues are a major focus of both the testing experts who develop standardized tests and the researchers who endeavor to ensure a test's fairness, reliability, validity, and accuracy. But many issues remain both controversial and complex. The…

The goal of the Maryland School Performance Program is for each school to offer an excellent education to its students. This report presents performance information for the 1995-96 school year and the evaluation criteria that provide the basis for school improvement. Published by the Maryland State Department of Education, the report contains…

This paper describes a policy exercise on education and the new economy held in Aspen, Colorado, in June 1997. The exercise was designed to help the National Center for Research on Vocational Education understand the development of education and training in the near future. The exercise took advantage of expertise in social gaming developed at…

This external evaluation report provides formative evaluation data on several aspects of a project at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) to implement performance-based evaluation of student learning. The first section evaluates feedback from 12 senior mathematics and 4 senior chemistry majors regarding their understanding of the mathematics…

This ERIC Digest outlines the methods employed and the results obtained from the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in U.S. history. NAEP surveys collect information about students' knowledge of core subjects of the school curriculum. This particular survey was administered to a national sample of students in grades 4, 8, and…

Quality public schools are the foundation of a democracy and a free enterprise economic system. This paper, a transcript of the speech delivered by United States Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, offers data to support the following themes: (1) vouchers threaten the fundamental mission of public education; (2) a voucher program which served…

This publication is an updated, edited merger of two earlier National Council on Economic Education documents: "A Framework for Teaching the Basic Concepts" and "Economics: What and When." The combined publication is designed to aid those who construct curricula or who provide economics instruction in U.S. schools. The book…

In 1993, the Colorado Legislature enacted laws calling for standards-driven education, which requires all school districts to hold students to high standards in 12 content areas. This document reports on the results of a survey to measure the statewide progress of this transformation. The survey's purpose was to determine the successes and…

This book offers parents and community members a clear picture of the Kentucky school improvement design through a solid and user-friendly explanation of the basics of the plan. The chapters are: (1) "What Is This Book For?"; (2) "What Is Our School System Working To Achieve?"; (3) "What Do Our Students Need To Know and Be…

This document details Florida's state, elementary, intermediate, and secondary, social studies standards, approved May 29, 1996. It is divided into four grade level clusters: grades preK-2, grades 3-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12. For each cluster the standards are outlined for time, continuity, and change (history); people, places and…

This teacher's guide focuses on diversity and concentrates on issues of race and ethnicity. It is designed to provide instructional support for classroom use of "The Challenge of Diversity," (student text). The guide outlines recommended lesson sequences incorporating readings, directing discussions, and offering interactive activities,…

This book focuses on diversity, concentrating on issues of race and ethnicity and on the contributions made, and challenges faced, by the nation's racial and ethnic communities. The easy-to-read, graphically highlighted materials in the book invite students to confront the challenges of living in a diverse society by looking at the past, present,…

The Nebraska K-12 Reading/Writing Standards reflect what students should know and be able to do by the end of grades 1, 4, 8, and 12. In addition to identifying grade-level specific standards, the Reading/Writing Standards are further divided into the following four topic strands: (1) Reading--decoding written language and using printed material…

The College of Southern Idaho, a two-year, institute of higher education (IHE), and the College of Education at Idaho State University, a four-year IHE, have joined together to create a model to ensure that aspiring teachers have the same opportunities for a quality education no matter where they complete their first 2 years. The institutions have…

This update provides information about statewide writing assessment administration procedures in Nebraska and statewide assessment reporting, and contains a review of model assessments. The information is intended to assist local educators in planning and preparing for the Statewide Writing Assessment in February 2001 and the reporting of local…