The Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) was asked to provide information on how other states are approaching the development and implementation of Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) as part of a comprehensive assessment system. Specifically, the request asked for information about KEA measures used by other states, the processes…

In 2002, the Monroe County, Georgia, school system was, according to its then-superintendent Scott Cowart, "underperforming." Test scores were low, and several schools faced interventions under the new No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). One decade later, the 4,000-student school district in central Georgia is one of the highest-performing…

Cue reactivity assessments have been widely used to assess craving and attention to cues among cigarette smokers. Cue reactivity has the potential to offer insights into treatment decisions; however, the use of cue reactivity in treatment studies has been limited. This study assessed the feasibility of using a virtual reality-based cue reactivity…

No major change in thought or action occurs without mistakes, casualties and growth. This article is designed to examine the implementation of integrated curriculum design from a more critical perspective. While the integrated curriculum innovators were confident about the design and their process, not all of their colleagues were interested in…

Integrated Event Design (IED) capitalizes on three distinct courses to achieve a blended course delivery: Event Management, Research and Evaluation (for undergraduate students), and Experiential Education (for graduate students). Through the use of an event management company metaphor that fully integrates the diverse curricular concepts, course…

The U.S. Department of Education (Education) established the Race to the Top (RTT) grant fund to encourage states to support school reform efforts. In 2010, Education awarded 12 RTT grants totaling nearly $4 billion, making RTT the largest competitive grant fund ever administered by Education. Individual grantee awards ranged from $75 million to…

This paper describes the diffusion of Moodle within Cherokee County Schools. The diffusion is evaluated using the Bass Model and the RIPPLES model in order to evaluate relative success or failure. The Bass Model of Diffusion was calculated utilizing forecasting by analogy in order to analyze the adoption rates in a county high school. The adoption…

This study reviews recent research related to the neurobiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) an provides an empirical analysis of current assessment practices. Data were collected through a survey of 117 school psychologists. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS), and Gilliam Asperger's Disorder Scale…

The author examined the student evaluation of teaching instrument used in the College of Business Administration at Georgia Southern University (GSU) to determine which traits have the greatest impact on students' overall rating of all individual instructors. Using exploratory factor analysis, the author found that the overall instructor rating is…

A central commitment for professional development schools (PDSs) is to link preservice teacher preparation and in-service teacher professional development with improved learning outcomes for pupils. PDSs are expected to improve student achievement in two primary ways: (1) by enriching and intensifying the learning environment through professional…

This final report documents the achievements of the State of Georgia Department of Education Speech-Language Pathology Assessment Project (SPAP), which examined competencies needed by school speech-language pathologists and developed the Speech-Language Pathology Assessment Instrument (SPAI) to assess those competencies. Trainees, instructed in…

A new method for evaluating rater accuracy within the context of performance assessments is described. It uses an extended Rasch measurement model, FACETS, which is illustrated with 373 benchmark papers from the Georgia High School Graduation Writing Test rated by 20 operational raters and an expert panel. (SLD)

As part of the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program, schools participated in the Formative Evaluation Process for School Improvement (FEPSI), a package of services mainly provided during two visits each school year. This document reports on the evaluation of training for Georgia educators involved in FEPSI as site researchers.…

During fiscal year 1981, 56 secondary and 10 postsecondary institutions were evaluated on-site in Georgia. Data were gathered and a composite picture of the secondary and postsecondary institutions was presented based on vocational standards and criteria from the state's assessment guides. Some general conclusions compiled by the evaluation…

Retaining students is a critical topic in higher education. Methodologies abound to gather attrition data as well as key variables important to retention. Using the theories of total quality management and focus groups, this case study gathers and reports data from current college students. Key results, suggestions for replication, and areas for…