The Adult High School (AHS) program enables an adult no longer enrolled in public high school to complete the required courses and state assessments to earn a standard high school diploma. Course requirements are in accordance with standards established by the state. A program of instruction for both traditional and co-enrolled AHS students shall…

Even as the Internet and i-devices have changed so many parts of people's lives, educational testing has not changed substantially in decades. Though researchers and educators have for years raised ample concerns about existing tests, assessments have barely evolved. Further, despite years of expanded testing and greater school accountability,…

This policy profile on education in Sweden is part of the "Education Policy Outlook" series, which presents comparative analysis of education policies and reforms across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Building on the OECD's substantial comparative and sectorial policy knowledge base, the…

In 2010, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation's Education Program has established the Deeper Learning Initiative, which focuses on students' development of deeper learning skills (i.e., the mastery of core academic content, critical-thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and "learn-how-to-learn" skills). Two test…

Shifting Gears was launched in 2007 by the Joyce Foundation, a Chicago-based organization focused on improving the quality of life of citizens residing in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The primary goal of Shifting Gears is to increase the number of low-skilled, low-income Midwestern adults who obtain college-level occupational…

In this study, the authors examined the academic performance of 18 urban districts that participated in the 2009 Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). The districts participated in grade 4 and grade 8 reading and mathematics assessments. Eleven of these districts also participated in the…

Discusses the new Advanced Placement course in statistics as an alternative to calculus for high school seniors. Broad conceptual themes of the course are exploring data, planning a study, anticipating patterns in advance, and statistical inference. Provides a list of College Board regional offices to contact for more information. (MKR)

Describes an elementary school principal's visit to Japanese schools. Highlights positive impressions, such as 99 percent literacy, education's high priority, focus on basics, and students' proficiency in science and mathematics. On the minus side, Japanese schools give students scant individual attention and overemphasize memorization and highly…

Describes the steps that a school district should follow in the first stages of implementing a minimum competency testing program: preparatory activities, defining the project, identifying existing tests, evaluating tests, developing a local test, and sharing knowledge. (Author)

Mary Hatwood Futrell, president of the National Education Association, and Albert Shanker, president of the American Federation of Teachers, discuss educational reform, current problems in education, teacher education, teachers' associations, and the professionalization of teaching. (MT)

The purpose of this guide is to articulate a set of questions and issues that campus leaders can review when deciding whether to participate in a given survey or use a specific assessment instrument. The guide also describes some of the major national surveys and assessments. Although the guide does not rate or recommend these services, it…

Discusses the initial purposes of the National Curriculum assessment. Argues that pupils and teachers could benefit from a better analysis of assessment data by considering a system of assessment used in France. Suggests that the use of information technology would enable formative, diagnostic, summative, and evaluative assessment to take place…

Criticizes calls for national competency testing for Canadian students. Argues that thinking skills are too complex, and standardized tests too simplistic, for such tests to be valuable. Points out that testing alone does not improve education. Examines why standardized tests are appealing. Concludes that the tests are useful if their limits are…

Describes how one education reform strategist wants to establish a broad national examination system for American students which would be a powerful motivator to achieve. It would be based on the best aspects of foreign schools but address American diversity, assessing students' skills through a wide range of activities. (SM)

Many school districts around the nation are re-evaluating how they measure student performance in mathematics. Calls have been made for alternative, authentic assessment tools that go beyond simple, and widely ineffective, multiple-choice tests. This book examines how the Fizz & Martina math video series provides students with hands-on…