Neither teacher-made tests nor the Scholastic Aptitude Test are appropriate for measuring the attainment of national education goals. Most practitioners involved in discussions of national high-stakes examinations argue that new tests are needed. A new system that preserves state and local autonomy in education as it measures the attainment of…

In Canada today there is a clear move toward a more outcomes-based education system. This report examines the state of high school student assessment and reviews standards and accountability strategies. It reports on the policies, programs, and initiatives in all provincial ministries or departments of education and a sample of school boards…

In 1995 the Virginia Board of Education adopted new Standards of Learning in four core subject areas: mathematics, science, English, and history and social science. The new standards set targets and expectations for what teachers need to teach and students need to learn. The requirement is designed to provide greater accountability on the part of…

Many educators are shifting their teaching strategies and approaches to include more emphasis on critical thinking skills, the communication of ideas, a variety of approaches to content emphasizing varied student learning styles, and the need to draw explicit connections among topics for retention of learning. Real-world assessment measures, then,…

Innovative work being done in the area of educational assessment is explored, focusing on the experiences of the State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The following projects currently being carried out by the CCSSO are described: (1) the Secondary Academic Standards and…

This report compares San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) measures of student enrollment and academic achievement with similar measures for the California Community College (CCC) System. The purpose of this report is to evaluate the colleges' collective mission to meet the postsecondary education needs of their students, and to identify…

The Regional Forums (RFMs) conducted by the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) to solicit public comments on recommendations by the six NEGP Resource Groups (RGPs) are described. The RGP recommendations focus on ways of measuring/monitoring the nation's/states' progress toward meeting the President's and governors' six national education goals.…

Designed to address major statewide issues and concerns facing the community colleges of the State University of New York (SUNY), this report offers background information, analyzes existing problems, discusses the methods used to investigate each problem, and offers recommendations concerning governance, intersegmental relations, programmatic…

The external examiner approach to assessment can address concerns that American educational standards are low, curricular coherence is lacking, and college students are learning insufficiently. The discussion: (1) contrasts the conditions in British and American higher education that make the British model inappropriate for the United States; (2)…

Educational standards, student achievement and basic skills are discussed. Various definitions of standards are given, and a definition which encompases individual differences is preferred. Educational research conducted in New Zealand indicates that there has been no sharp decline in academic achievement, although in primary- and…

The role of Christian day schools in meeting changing educational and social needs is evaluated and educational trends since the 1960s are reviewed. Among the solutions proposed to remedy alleged educational ills of the 1960s (including that schools were simultaneously too liberal, racist, permissive, authoritarian, and irrelevant) were free…

A pilot project in performance funding at Tennessee Tech University is described. The pilot project was part of a statewide "Performance Funding Project" sponsored by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). The Performance Funding Project was designed to improve the formula appropriations process by determining the feasibility…

The following steps have been taken to accomplish the goals of the Wisconsin Pupil Assessment Program: the development of objective-referenced tests; the administration of a standardized norm-referenced test; reporting of trends in performance on these tests; and the availability of two testing services and personnel for consultation purposes.…

Minimal competency testing is the most recent evolution of the accountability movement and of the competency based education movement. It focuses on the basic academic skills of reading, writing, and arithemtic. It presumes the state will set educational objectives, and that the local school district will conduct its program so that the objectives…

Issues and present trends related to the preparation and the expanded role of the nurse and physician's assistant in meeting health needs are the major concerns of part one, representing 100 pages of the document. Issues discussed include: (1) manpower considerations, (2) definition of responsibilities, training needs, and requirements, (3)…