This report describes students' reading achievements at grades 4, 8, and 12 and within various subgroups of the general population. State-level results are presented for individual states that chose to participate in the 1994 Trial State Assessment. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the 1994 NAEP reading assessment and sample questions and…

In 1989, England implemented the National Curriculum for state schools, which made prescriptive demands on teaching content and approach. This study discusses the requirements of and the controversies surrounding the National Curriculum, and the titles of books being promoted for student reading which reflect long-established children's fiction…

This paper synthesizes information derived from five sources regarding issues in testing as they related to the American 2000; an education strategy and the national education goals. The focus is on proposed national tests. The issue of national testing extends far beyond testing itself because it touches on the structure of the U.S. educational…

Compulsory national testing for children at ages 7, 11, 14, and 16 years is part of the British National Curriculum. This development contributes to the fact that the issue of assessment is of increasing interest to parents, teachers, administrators, and employers. This book attempts to explain how assessment systems work and the uses that can be…

This report presents the results of the 1998 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) reading assessment of 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students for the nation and for participating states or jurisdictions. Results in 1998 are compared to those in 1994 and 1992. It provides results for subgroups of students defined by various background…

This report presents highlights from the 1998 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) reading assessment of 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students for the nation and for participating states or jurisdictions. Results in 1998 are compared to those in 1994 and 1992. The report provides results for subgroups of students defined by various…

Aimed at school board members, this publication discusses the critical importance of developing an accountability system for a school district. The first chapter advises board members to balance their spending and resource allocations between equity and effectiveness. The option of greater regulatory flexibility mandates greater board…

This booklet, which concerns student writing on a social studies examination given to Alberta (Canada) students, addresses two major purposes. First, the booklet illustrates and compares two important levels of expectations, or standards, that have been set for student writing on this examination: satisfactory and excellent. Second, it provides…

Assessment in the National Curriculum in England and Wales is an example of a different model. The report of the government-appointed working group on assessment, Task Group on Assessment and Testing (1988), states that assessment: (1) is an integral part of both teaching and learning; (2) should not determine what is to be taught and learned; and…

"America 2000" is a national strategy (not a federal program) designed to accomplish in 9 years the six national education goals first articulated by the President and the state governors at the 1989 "Education Summit" in Charlottesville, Virginia. America 2000 is described as having four major "parts," and this…

"America 2000" is a long-term national strategy (not a federal program) designed to accomplish in nine years (by the year 2000) the six national education goals articulated by the President and the state governors at the 1989 "Education Summit" in Charlottesville, Virginia. This national education strategy was presented by the…

"America 2000" is a national strategy (not a federal program) designed to accomplish in nine years the six national education goals first articulated by the president and the state governors at the 1989 "Education Summit" in Charlottesville, Virginia. America 2000 is described as having four major "parts," and this…

The paper provides a review of the history and current issues concerning competency testing of special education teachers. Among issues identified are the rights of educators versus the rights of the public, which abilities are to be assessed, effects of a decreasing supply of potential teachers, pencil-and-paper assessment versus performance…

The use of standardized testing in secondary schools (with students between 10 and 19 years old) is described for four European countries: (1) England; (2) West Germany; (3) the Netherlands; and (4) Sweden. In the decentralized English system, several published standardized tests are available; they are used less at the secondary level than in…

This report provides an overview of the competency-based education movement, discusses school administrators' concerns and attitudes concerning the competency movement, describes the experience of various school districts and states with minimum competency requirements, and presents practical guidelines for implementing minimum competency…