Value-added methods are tools that analysts have devised to help people understand the gains that students are or are not making while in school. This can be done in many ways, and different analysts and states have developed various approaches. Beginning in August 2008, Ohio's academic accountability system includes a value-added component that…

This technical brief describes state-level policies and procedural requirements for guiding teacher evaluation practices at the district level in the seven states served by the Midwest Regional Educational Laboratory: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Building on the Issues & Answers report "Examining…

This document, the second in a series, delineates mandatory procedures for onsite school evaluations as adopted by the Ohio State Board of Education, pursuant to the adoption of the 1983 minimum standards. These procedures give direction to the system of education in Ohio, while allowing flexibility within the standards to establish educational…

The grade-level instruments that comprise this social studies component of the model competency-based education (CBE) assessment package for Ohio have been constructed to assist teachers in assessing student attainment of competencies with the best assessments possible. The package notes that the individual district may use these instruments as…

Rubrics are tools that formalize the process of evaluation by explicitly stating the criteria to be used for grading. Rubrics help students to evaluate the quality of their work as they progress through a class. They may be very helpful to Ohio adult educators in helping to evaluate the Uniform Portfolio that must be kept on every student within a…

Describes a study comparing the perceptions of teachers and administrators in northwest Ohio regarding the criteria considered important in the evaluation of secondary school teachers. Reports significant differences between teachers and administrators on nearly one-third of the items on the questionnaire, with disagreements occurring in a variety…

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…

This handbook provides arts specialists and gifted coordinators with procedures for identifying students who are gifted in music. All personnel who are developing district identification procedures and trained individuals who will be involved in the screening and identification of gifted children in the area of music should read this handbook. To…

This technical assistance manual is designed to provide Ohio school districts with resources and information to aid in the development of appropriate procedures to identify children who are gifted. It is organized to respond to questions that districts may have or need to answer regarding gifted identification and provides information and…

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,…

This Handbook, "Identification of Children Who Are Gifted in the Visual Arts: Implementation Handbook for Educators" provides arts specialists and gifted coordinators with procedures for identifying students who are gifted in art. To be effective, the screening and identification process requires participation by personnel with expertise…

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…

This individualized inservice packet provides teachers with guidelines for the meaningful selection and assessment of print materials, so that they may locate and utilize the appropriate reading content for individual students. It is one of a nine-part series of booklets--Teaching Teen Reading--in self-instructional format, intended as a practical…

This is one of a series of implementation documents prepared in conjunction with the revised minimum standards adopted in 1983 by the Ohio State Board of Education. Its purpose is to provide guidelines for developing a local policy governing selection of instructional materials, including textbooks, equipment, the library collection, and…

This handbook is intended to assist Ohio educators in identifying students for placement in classes for individuals with severe behavior handicaps. The following topics are discussed: (1) definition of severe behavior handicapped, with examples and discussion of five characteristics and three qualifiers; (2) alternatives to referral, with examples…