This year the Center on Education Policy (CEP) analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose and demonstrate an evidence-based scenario design framework for assessment-based computer games. Design/methodology/approach: The evidence-based scenario design framework is presented and demonstrated by using BELLA, a new assessment-based gaming environment aimed at supporting student learning of…

"Rethinking Early Childhood Education" is alive with the conviction that teaching young children involves values and vision. This anthology collects inspiring stories about social justice teaching with young children. Included here is outstanding writing from childcare teachers, early-grade public school teachers, scholars, and parents.…

In July 2001, the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) agreed to the development of assessment instruments and key performance measures for reporting on student skills, knowledge and understandings in primary science. It directed the newly established Performance Measurement and Reporting Taskforce…

This packet includes reprints of journal articles and other resources concerning the assessment of science and math in small, rural elementary schools. Articles include: (1) "Standards, Assessment, and Educational Quality" (Lauren B. Resnick); (2) "A True Test: Toward More Authentic and Equitable Assessment" (Grant Wiggins);…

This report describes the development of the Primary Teacher Questionnaire (PTQ), a self-report teacher beliefs scale based on the position statement on developmentally appropriate practice in the primary grades published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The development of the PTQ was conducted in three…

This paper traces developments in educational psychology and measurement that led to the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) and the application of educational measurement terms such as validity and reliability to testing. Use of a table of specifications for planning…

This report summarizes what occurred in Australian education from 1983-89. This compilation of updated information is designed for use by U.S. college admissions officers who review Australian credentials at both the secondary and tertiary levels. Findings are based on letters, interviews, bulletins, handbooks, and actual credentials. At the…

This report presents descriptive findings from the Language Minority/Limited English Proficiency Student Supplement of "Prospects," a six-year longitudinal evaluation concerning the impact of federal Chapter 1 programs. These programs provide supplemental instruction to low-achieving elementary and secondary school students in low-income schools.…

The guide, written by experienced English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers, offers practical information to teachers and developers of adult ESL students of varying literacy and proficiency levels. An introductory section offers background information on development of these materials in the Metropolitan Nashville (Tennessee) Public Schools.…

Intended for either the general educator or the specialist, this text offers principles and teaching strategies for teaching students with visual impairments including both blind students and those with low vision. The book is organized into three sections: "Vision,""Learning," and "Testing and Transitions." The four chapters in the "Vision"…

In a recent opinion the Supreme Court of the United States recognized that for many communities "school sports play a prominent role." Whatever purpose they serve, school sports also raise a number of legal issues that a school district must carefully handle in order to operate its athletics program with minimal risk of liability. This handbook is…

This guide presents eight steps to help states develop educational assessment programs that include students with disabilities and comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Introductory material identifies reasons that states have excluded students with disabilities from their assessment programs. Three key aspects to setting…

This report presents the results of the fifth annual survey of state activities in the assessment of educational outcomes for students with disabilities. The survey of state directors of special education requested information in the areas of federally reported data, assessment of outcomes, participation of students with disabilities in state…

This paper explores some of the obstacles to implementation of tests required for graduation by describing state programs in existence as of October 1994 in which students were required to pass a test in order to receive a high school diploma. A survey of state testing directors used to construct the State Student Assessment Program Database was…