Within the context of declining enrollment, this paper considers the questions of economies of scale, cost-quality interrelationships, and rigidities in the Ontario school system. From a survey of the pertinent literature, the author concludes that economies of scale are linked to the level, size, and pupil/teacher ratio of a school and operate…

The topic of high-stakes testing (HST) is important because HST has direct and indirect effects on career-technical education (CTE) programs and timely because HST increasingly enters public discussion and has produced a large body of research and practice that generalizes to CTE. A review of HST has identified two persisting dilemmas: policy and…

Contains 11 articles about educational testing focused on the topics of guidance and information management, student achievement, mathematics teaching/learning, test score interpretation, alternatives to standardized testing, evaluation of multicultural and exceptional children, learning/cognitive training assessment models, and "blue…

The available evidence indicates that home school youth of compulsory education age have been scoring equal or better than their conventional school peers on measures of cognitive achievement and desirable affective traits; the significance of this is discussed. (BJV)

Maintains that, in the wake of unfavorable court decisions, many school boards in the South attempted to legitimize wage discrimination against black teachers through use of the National Teacher Examination (NTE). Examines questions of racial bias within the testing procedure. Profiles the NTE's leading proponent, Ben Wood. (MJP)

In 43 rural Maine communities that pay tuition to send their students to high schools in larger towns, achievement test scores appeared to influence parental school choice but explained only 20% of the variability in enrollment trends. Enrollment trends were not related to school socioeconomic status or expenditure per pupil. Contains 40…

Examines Scotland's increasingly standardized national curriculum and testing reforms. Discusses centrally determined innovations, relationships between curriculum and assessment, reforms' effects on classroom, and teachers' role. Compares elements of encroaching "market model" reforms in England, Wales, and United States, suggesting…

This article presents the career/vocational assessment process as a critical component of transition planning for students with disabilities. It provides an overview of career/vocational assessment, methods of gathering assessment information, issues to consider, people involved in the assessment process, and recommendations for career/vocational…

This report examines three sets of standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and provides recommendations for curriculum, teaching, and assessment of students showing mathematical talent. Specific recommendations are suggested for programs, teaching strategies, resources, and alternative means of evaluation…

Issues surrounding educational assessment in Australia's Northern Territory are discussed. It is possible that the real issue is not an actual decline in educational standards, but instead, a decrease in public confidence in educational practice. Global patterns in educational testing and the assessment systems of the United States, the British…

The content of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act is described, its current interpretations are examined, and the implications for developing a responsible language and citizenship curriculum to conform to the legislation are discussed. Specific attention is focused on the law's requirement that illegal aliens applying for amnesty and…

Assessment instruments play an important role in the 2-year college career planning and development process. The importance of these devices indicates that considerable thought and planning is necessary to ensure use of the best instruments for the particular college. A literature review and a survey of seven 2-year colleges in the Albany, New…

Criticizes the "effective teaching" movement and offers principles of effective teaching that research has shown to improve the practices of ineffective teachers. (SRT)

This paper--part of a collection of 54 papers from the 48th annual conference of the Education Law Association held in November 2002--discusses high-stakes testing. Specifically, it examines the high-stakes testing program in Chicago public schools, a grade-promotion policy that uses a standardized test as the primary basis for promotion. Although…

This paper synthesizes information from the March 2000 report, "Increasing the Participation of Special Needs Students in NAEP" (National Assessment of Educational Progress). Background information includes the development of the NAEP program since 1969 and the 1996 development of criteria to guide schools in deciding on the…