The goal of the "Closing the Achievement Gap for 21st Century Learners in West Virginia (CAG)" report, 3rd edition, is to update West Virginia educators to the status and improvement of student achievement in West Virginia which may then be utilized as a basis for determining future educational decisions. In order to enhance the quality…

This document sets forth recommendations for the design of a new science assessment. The assessment resulting from this framework will start a new NAEP science trend (i.e., measure of student progress in science) beginning in 2009. This framework represents a unique opportunity to build on previous NAEP science work as well as key developments in…

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)

The National Indian Education Study is a two-part study designed to describe the condition of education for American Indian/Alaska Native students in the United States. The study was conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics for the U.S. Department of Education, with the support of the Office of Indian Education. This report, Part…

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…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a survey of American students' knowledge and skills in different subjects at grades 4, 8, and 12. NAEP combines the samples of performances to provide information about the knowledge and skills of students in the nation as a whole, in each participating state, and in different demographic…

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)

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…

This document explains the major features of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in a non-technical manner. It highlights the history and development of NAEP, how the data are collected, scored, and analyzed, and how the results are reported. This introductory guide to NAEP is designed to meet the information needs of teachers,…

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…

Educators anticipate bold new education reform initiatives from President Bill Clinton and his Education Secretary, Richard Riley. A priority project is college tuition loans, repayable through voluntary public service jobs. The President also supports increased funding for the Head Start Program and money for a national apprenticeship program for…

Updated for 2005, this comprehensive volume offers a snapshot profile of every public school district in the United States serving 1,500 or more students and provides pertinent evaluative and demographic statistics necessary to evaluate educational programs nationwide. This book is a comprehensive compilation with more details, more test scores,…

This book describes how examinations and national assessments can be used to encourage more pedgaogically sound teaching and learning. It provides concrete examples of ways to measure student learning and describes how to develop, score, and interpret tests to ensure that they are valid, reliable, and fair to all children. It offers techniques and…