Responds to Doug Boughton's accompanying essay based on input from notable assessment practices in Europe and Australia. Addresses what is meant by criteria, objectives, and standards and what role they play in visual arts assessment. Offers a model for rethinking the structure of assessment with respect to these components. (DSK)

College faculty have a responsibility to help students unveil some of the mystery of professional judgment in student assessment, both to help explain instructional practices and to create a model for students' use when they become professional evaluators. Teachers can use a variety of methods to ensure that subjectivity in assessment is not…

Presents fictitious first-person accounts detailing three forms of accreditation used by the North Central Association (NCA): one-time examinations, evaluations, and Outcomes Accreditation. Indicates that, after its first 60 years, the NCA replaced examination with self-study and peer review evaluations, which in turn were replaced by Outcomes…

This paper addresses issues concerning nationally prescribed tests and tasks in relation to the National Curriculum for England and Wales and the assessment of primary-age students with special educational needs. (DB)

This profile describes the key features of the examination and assessment systems of Romania. It provides a snapshot taken at the end of more than a decade of major political, social and economic changes, when it is widely accepted that Romania has made significant advances in its educational reforms and that important innovations are now becoming…

Since 2001-2002, standards-based accountability (SBA) provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) have shaped the work of public school teachers and administrators in the United States. NCLB requires each state to develop content and achievement standards in several subjects, administer tests to measure students' progress toward…

This paper cites evidence that the word "all" in referring to the education of all children is not being used in the universal sense, and notes that actions have not matched the rhetoric about "all" students. The paper defines the terms "outcomes,""indicators," and "standards." It discusses key issues that arise in talking about outcomes for all…

This planning guide begins with a working definition of "magnet school" and then gives short descriptions of six sample types of elementary level magnet programs: a fundamental or academic prep school, a Montessori school, a music academy, an earth science school or environmental center, a bilingual-multicultural magnet, and a fine arts academy.…

A study examined the American experience of accrediting employer-provided training. Interviews were conducted with 16 persons: 2 representatives of accrediting agencies, 9 representatives of employers with accredited training programs, and 5 persons with expertise in a closely related field. Based on these interviews, it appeared that where there…

Continuous student assessment in Britain's Open University courses is based on CMAs (computer-marked assignments) and TMAs (tutor-marked assignments). To insure common standards are applied by all tutors, TMAs are monitored by two methods: staff inspection and statistical procedure. Use of the latter for standardizing grading is described fully…

Clearly stated educational objectives can help in educational evaluation. Because objectives sans assessment are little more than rhetoric, criterion-referenced tests are advocated for assessing objective-attainment. Performance standards are viewed as appropriately separable from objectives. Five guidelines regarding objectives are suggested for…

Describes Newfoundland's method of identifying discrepancies among high school graduation marks and the consequences for students of adjustments made to reduce the differences. Notes effect of size of school, random error, and influence of school or teacher on differences. Considers three sets of assumptions necessary for the analysis. (SB)

The Florida Board of Regents conducts periodic evaluations of university degree programs and of the universities' performance on a set of quality indices. These Evaluations require large amounts of compatible data from all the institutions in the system. A data management process that can support such evaluations is described. (AUTHOR/MLW)

This guide provides practical support for teachers as they tackle the challenges of planning and implementing lessons, units, and assessments that energize student learning and progress toward standards. Section 1, "Gathering Materials," provides the basic materials for approaching standards-based learning (definitions of key terms, grade-cluster…

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to developing an implementing a plan to start a business or an organization. It…