Education Sector commissioned an earlier version of this collection of essays in conjunction with a March 2012 event "Getting to 2014: The Choices and Challenges Ahead." This updated version includes new essays and a revised introduction. The aim of these essays is to present ideas, elicit feedback, and encourage productive dialogue…

Annually, ACT provides a snapshot of the college and career readiness of ACT-tested high school graduates. This report is offered as a service to inform policymakers and practitioners about selected indicators of effectiveness and how that translates into readiness. It is designed to stimulate discussion, inquiry, and action. This report for the…

The Commission to Study the Future of Community Colleges in Kentucky was established in 1988 to review the accomplishments of the Kentucky Community College System (KCCS), to assess its current status, and to provide direction for the KCCS towards the year 2000. Developed as part of a collection of articles and reports on the KCCS for use by the…

This document describes the holdings of the Test Center of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory as of April 1994 in the area of assessment alternatives in social studies. The bibliography lists 45 entries about such subjects as portfolio assessment, diploma examinations, performance criteria, performance assessment models, integrating…

Intended primarily for Kentucky classroom teachers and administrators, this idea book first identifies three major issues that members of the Writing Advisory Committee felt should be addressed so that writing instruction will not suffer because of use of the writing portfolio. The broad issues emphasized in the idea book are for teachers to: (1)…

This document contains the executive summary and the detailed report which provide an independent evaluation of Kentucky's new system for assessing student performance, the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS). The summary gauges progress to date, highlights some strengths to be built on and problems to be solved, and provides…

The attributes of Kentucky's Primary Program are developmentally appropriate practices; multi-age classrooms; continuous progress; authentic assessment; qualitative reporting; professional teamwork; and parent involvement. This document serves as a guide for teachers who wish to make changes concerning these attributes as they relate to four…

Education policy makers identify access to quality pre-Kindergarten programs as a critical step in early childhood development. While most agree on access, definitions of quality vary widely. A new study by the National Center for Early Development & Learning (NCEDL) finds that families define quality in broader terms than educators,…

Using national sources, the Kentucky Core Content development committee defined the arts as creating, performing, and responding to dance, music, theater; the visual arts; and literature. The committee defined the humanities as the beliefs, thoughts, and traditions of humankind as reflected in history; philosophy; religion; dance; music; theater;…

Performance indicators used for state funding, past and present, of public colleges in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington are reviewed to explore their intent and implications and to provide information for policymakers considering introducing or revising…

The Sex Equity Workshops for Adult Education Teachers Project was designed to provide eight training sessions for part-time and full-time instructors of adult education in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The project, which was funded through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Act, was intended to help staff examine their own personal attitudes about sex…

This document is a guide to vocational assessment of secondary school students, especially those who have disabilities. It was developed for use in Fayette County, Kentucky, but can be adapted for use in other areas. The nine sections of the guide discuss the background and procedures for conducting student assessments. The first four sections of…

The goal of Kentucky social studies education is to help students become contributing, participating, and knowledgeable citizens. To achieve this goal, students must know, understand, and apply the content and concepts of the various sub-disciplines of social studies (government and civics, history, geography, economics, culture and society). This…

This technical assistance paper presents information designed to assist school personnel in assessing the strengths and needs of children and planning developmentally appropriate curriculum strategies. The first topic addressed is assessment strategies, which include developmental screening, diagnostic instruments, teacher observation, parent…

The Kentucky Education Reform Act established learning standards that were higher than those of previous educational systems. The main gauge for assessing how well students measure up to these standards is a statewide system that evaluates what students know and can do. In 1991, the Kentucky State Board for Elementary and Secondary Education…