Using test scores to judge a staff's effectiveness reveals a lack of understanding of test design, this expert on testing says.

Focus on measurable results, not on covering every standard, these authors recommend.

Meshing abstract standards with practical needs requires balancing the tension between the ideal and the real.

Rich conversations about instructional strategies ensue when administrators closely examine student work.

The author of Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know updates readers on the progress of Core Knowledge Schools.

Kentucky leads the way in demonstrating how students with exceptional needs can participate in a statewide assessment system.

When 5-year-olds come with their parents to preview school, screening for readiness is not the most productive use of the time.

A task force implemented a partnership with teachers, students, and parents that increased reading scores dramatically.

By analyzing student performance, a low-performing district recognized its priority and proceeded to improve reading instruction.

Elementary school teachers revised their reporting system to better assess their students' achievement of standards.

In an Antarctica project, middle school students design a research station for scientists and learn to use assessments to extend their understanding of mathematics.

Team teachers who revamped their curriculum to be performance-based helped their students gain more control of their learning.

How does a leader instill accountability?

From gardening projects to assisting preschoolers, authentic work blends well with performance assessment.

A teacher ponders, What are the real indicators of success with a student?

Tests, more often than not, are the special events of the school week, this teacher laments.

Frustrated by a constant stream of children asking him to approve their work, a teacher devised a simple task to make his students aware of the importance of doing their best.

What seems like a restrictive environment may actually be the most productive school setting for some visually impaired students.

The link between preschool experience and adult criminal behavior is improbable and unproven, this author asserts.