This is the first of a series of reports providing information and statistics on subjects of interest to educational policymakers and practitioners. Based on a research paper, "Course-Taking Patterns in the 1980s," by Margaret E. Goertz, the report's focus is on what is being studied and how this has changed over time (generally between 1982 and…

The student performance standards of excellence in mathematics, science, social studies, and writing for Florida schools were developed cooperatively by the Florida Department of Education, local school district personnel and representatives of institutions of higher education. These standards and skills were reviewed by teachers and supervisors…

A South Texas survey conducted in 1975 investigated the reading performance of Mexican American students enrolled in a bilingual program to determine whether or not students achieved significantly different reading scores on parallel Spanish and English versions of an appropriate test (Guidance Testing Associates Inter-American Test of Reading).…

The purposes of this study were to: (1) assess the present level of scientific literacy of students in twelve public school systems in Georgia on an abbreviated form of the "National Assessment of Educational Progress Science Test"; (2) compare the performance of these students on specific test items with the performance of…

This guide presents the "minimum teaching essentials" published by the New York City Board of Education. Subjects covered include: (1) communication arts (K-9); (2) health education (grades 5, 6, and 8); (3) mathematics (grades 5-9); (4) physical education (grades 5-9); and (5) science (grades 5-9). Work study skills are given for each…

Project ACCENT (Ascertaining Critical Career Education Needs in Trenton) had three objectives: (1) to determine career awareness needs of students in grades 5-8 in the non-public, inner-city, Trenton (New Jersey) schools; (2) to involve students, parents, and faculties in the evaluation of the students' career awareness; and (3) to evaluate…

In this report data obtained from the 1975-76 Delaware Educational Assessment Program is aggregated to the state level. Results are presented in two sections: (1) the status report section, and (2) the needs assessment section. The status report section presents state achievement outcomes and state norms at school and district levels for resource…

Describes the changes that have been made and are planned in the home economics curriculum in New York State. Changes discussed include living skills for males and females; four freestanding modules spread over grades six, seven, and eight; closer cooperation between home economics teachers and guidance personnel; and overlap with health…

Asserts that students' opportunities to learn subjects can be organized into sequences that span grades and schools. Examines national patterns in opportunities for learning mathematics and science from grade 8 to grade 10. Finds that the level of mathematics in grade 8 is closely related to that taken in high school, but this is not true of…

In 1987, Toronto Board of Education mandated the development of standards, called "benchmarks," for students' achievement in mathematics and language at the end of grades 3, 6, 8, and 10. The development and testing of benchmarks stressing higher-order thinking, problem solving, and the use of experiential approaches and manipulative…

In order to examine trends in educational reform in Kentucky, two studies of student portfolio evaluations as perceived by Kentucky teachers were described and compared. Under the Kentucky Educational Reform Act, student portfolios can serve as a basis for official evaluation of school performance. The first study, conducted in the fall and spring…

The cost of including hands-on tasks in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment was analyzed. In recognition of growing interest in performance assessment in science, the framework for the NAEP science assessment called for the inclusion of hands-on tasks with hands-on activities and questions about the…

In March 1992 the Arizona State Department of Education and educators across the state conducted a pilot study of 67 performance assessments developed for the Arizona Student Assessment Program (ASAP). This report describes various aspects of the reliability and validity of the 67 assessments (primarily constructed response) developed by The…

A study in Finland investigated the relationship of two general aspects of student motivation for second language learning (preference for challenge and curiosity) and motivation specific to the learning situation. Subjects were 292 sixth-graders and 301 eighth-graders, who performed two open and two closed English vocabulary tasks in two…

In the spring of 1990, over 9,000 4th-, 8th- and 12th-grade students (only 6 percent of all students in Massachusetts) were assessed using open-ended mathematical, scientific, social studies, and reading concepts. Beginning with the Massachusetts Educational Assessment Program for 1992, open-ended questions will be administered to all students and…