The nature and common uses of standardized achievement tests are described and placed in context in order to evaluate claims and criticisms that are commonly made. Tests are described as samples of behavior and hence subject to sampling errors. Much of the debate is dominated by emotion and prejudices. There is very little empirical evidence about…

How and why private and "private equivalent" resources (i.e., discretionary funds) have played such a large role in higher education in the United States, and how that role can continue to be performed in the financially troubled future, are outlined. Chapter One describes the "postponed crisis" precipitated by the end of growth in higher…

If the policy-making board is to take its proper place in restructuring education to provide maximum learning for individuals, they must provide the climate and resources that assist two-year colleges to develop educational programs that assist citizens to identify and prepare for change. The board members should routinely be in touch with…

Focusing on implications for teachers, this document reviews significant research and the current status of career education. The information is divided into eight sections. An introductory section discusses the criticisms of the education system which formed the basis for the career education movement. The next five sections contain brief…

Marcy Open School has developed an educational reality where students are given freedom to be creative within a structured curriculum. Reflective of this philosophy are the three priority goals developed by Marcy staff and parents which are: (1) We want girls and boys to speak, listen, write, read, and deal with mathematical concepts effectively…

A learning contract is a document, drawn up by a student and his instructor or advisor that specifies what the student will learn, how this will be accomplished, within what period of time, and what the criteria of evaluation will be. The student and instructor agree upon specific objectives, resources to be used, and feedback sessions.…

Many educators react defensively to demands for student assessment, accountability, and so forth. Rather than being defensive, we must turn these challenges to our advantage. If I am responsible in my work, then I ought to also be accountable for my work. We must describe what schools are expected to accomplish and show publicly whether these…

By virtue of the educational process, there exists a literate electorate that wants a voice in what the educational system is producing and that knows how to articulate its demands. Schools are faced with Federal, State, and district expectations. Along with these expectations there are internal and external forces that weigh on the educational…

This handbook is intended to help school board members promote and guide the planning process in education. The guide is directed toward long-range, comprehensive planning that involves setting goals, considering alternatives, setting objectives and strategies for accomplishing the goals, identifying and acquiring needed resources, and evaluating…

Accountability as a concept refers to little more than "common sense" management wherein outcomes of various programs and practices are measured, and this information is used as feedback for making appropriate changes and recording progress. The core of the Kalamazoo accountability model is the development of a management information…

This booklet is designed primarily as an instructional manual for staff inservice training in fulfilling professional obligations for accountability. Important factors in bringing about accountability are people and systems--people assess the need, consent to meet the need, and contract to be responsible for specific standards of performance. The…

ERIC abstracts on educational assessment, announced by this and other clearinghouses in RIE through April 1973, are presented. The key terms used in compiling this collection are "Evaluation,""Evaluation Criteria,""Evaluation Methods," and "Evaluation Techniques." This abstract updates on earlier ERIC…

This document on course goals in art is one part of a critique series dealing with the development and evaluation of course goals in six subject matter areas for grades K-12. The series provides an initial pool of course-level goals that are expected to be of considerable value in assisting educators with goal definition related to curriculum…

This speech addresses the basic but widespread weakness of many efforts in the improvement of college instruction which is believed to be the absence of adequate attention to the theoretical and research foundations of learning and teaching. Some of the current research deals directly with the accountability issue (e.g., criterion-referenced…

What difference are we making? How do we know? How can we show it? These questions about program performance are asked by adult literacy and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers, program administrators, and funders. This guide is designed to be used by local adult education programs to facilitate a systematic inquiry process…