The National Education Goals Panel was created by the President and Governors in July 1990 to assess and report on the progress of the nation and states in achieving six National Education goals by the year 2000. The Panel created six resource groups, one for each goal, to develop short- and long-term recommendations for methods to ensure…

The South Carolina Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP) was established by South Carolina legislation enacted in 1978. This report describes BSAP implementation and test results for 1984-85 as prescribed in the legislation. As the schedule for this academic year required, the Cognitive Skills Assessment Battery (CSAB) was administered to all…

Higher education assessment, evaluation, and accreditation in Georgia are addressed in these proceedings of a 1986 conference sponsored by the University of Georgia and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Panel papers cover: assessing student performance and outcomes, academic standards and needs assessment for specific…

The images, realities, and transitions of the American service academies are examined in this book. The contradictions between the classical Athens emphasis on well-educated and cultured individuals, and the Spartan emphasis on discipline, physical prowess, courage, and honor that have been inherent in the academies are brought to task. The…

Summaries are presented of the problems and issues of minimum competency testing which were discussed at four regional conferences for political and educational practitioners. The Education Commission of the States sponsored the conferences, but took no official position of support or opposition. Section 1 compares the legislative, practitioner,…

Recognizes the leadership role played by professional and educational organizations, most notably the National Geographic Society (NGS), in promoting geography education. The NGS and other organizations established standards and guidelines concerning content and instruction. Includes brief descriptions of activities and their sponsoring…

Some 15 to 20 percent of U.S. school children speak a foreign language at home, and the number is increasing rapidly. However, all limited-English proficient (LEP) students are not alike, and their differences must be understood in assessing their performance. It is vital to understand the role of culture and how the cultural background influences…

This report presents the results and sample items of a reading test and a mathematics test administered to Year 5 and Year 7 primary level students in 1989 in the Northern Territory of Australia. The Primary Assessment Program (PAP) monitors achievement in English and Mathematics in urban schools. All students in Years 5 and 7 are tested in…

Issues and trends currently affecting the enterprise of education are identified, particularly as they relate to continuing education. To date, the national education reform agenda has featured the major components of national standards, a national curriculum, national tests, improved teacher training, and teacher empowerment combined with…

An overview of assessment practices in the 107 California community colleges (CCCs) in 71 community college districts is presented. Nearly 1.4 million students are now enrolled in CCCs, and 40,000 full- and part-time faculty work in CCCs. The primary mission of CCCs is the provision of rigorous, high-quality lower division instruction for students…

When the nation of Pakistan was first created, school entrance and civil service examinations were administered in a foreign language--English. A major concern is that enrollment in primary education only increased from 17 percent in 1947 to 48 percent in 1983, with stil a very high dropout rate. National and province-wide boards of education were…

The 1977 National Assembly of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems addressed specific aspects of excellence, diversity, and access to postsecondary education and suggested ways to preserve these values in planning, managing, and financing in the 1980's. The following conference papers are presented: "Placing Value…

These proceedings summarize the themes and events of the 10th anniversary celebration of the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP). The proceedings are divided into three sections. The first section summarizes significant themes and issues raised over the 2-day event. The second section is a synopsis of discussions that took place during the…

Attempts to make some sense of the Byzantine matrix of governing agencies, accreditation boards, and the objectives and goals of teacher education programs in England. Significant ideological differences exist between the academic accrediting boards and the governing agencies. Discusses the implications of this for higher education and educational…

In this article, the authors looked at the effects of one old-style educational reform--higher course graduation requirements--and five standard-based reforms--(1) school report cards; (2) rewards for school improvement; (3) sanctions for failing schools; (4) minimum competency examinations; and (5) hybrid minimum competency exam…