While several authors have argued that there are a number of essential assessment concepts, principles, techniques, and procedures that teachers and administrators need to know, there continues to be relatively little emphasis on assessment in the preparation or professional development of teachers and administrators. N This report, in light of current assessment demands and contemporary theories of learning and motivation, to presents eleven basic principles to guide the assessment training and professional development of teachers and administrators.

Assessment is appealing to policymakers for several reasons: it is relatively inexpensive compared to making program changes, it can be externally mandated, it can be implemented rapidly, and it offers visible results. This report discusses significant features of present-day assessment programs and offers recommendations to increase positive effects and minimize negative ones.

Unlike traditional behavioral management, which views the individual as the problem and seeks to "fix" him or her by quickly eliminating the challenging behavior, positive behavioral support (PBS) and functional analysis (FA) view systems, settings, and lack of skill as parts of the "problem" and work to change those. As such, these approaches are characterized as long-term strategies to reduce inappropriate behavior, teach more appropriate behavior, and provide contextual supports necessary for successful outcome.

This report looks at why classroom assessment of students’ achievement is important , offers advice on how to ensure the quality of information from classroom assessments. Various methods of assessment and how they are constructed, administered and scored are reviewed. There is also information on how faculty can improve their assessments skills and what resources are available to help.

Although student school shootings of students have recently gained significant national attention, more routine forms of student violence (e.g., homicide, rape, aggravated assault, etc.) continue to plague our nation's schools and streets. These less sensational but equally harmful violent behaviors warrant appropriate response. This digest describes the importance of assessment and diagnosis with potentially violent and violent students.

This paper highlights the rules or best practices that should be followed by educators in evaluating, selecting, and using technology-delivered assessments. The guidelines adhere to existing professional standards such as the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (1999), Responsibilities of Users of Standardized Tests (1985) and the Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education (1988). The guidelines are presented in checklist form so that educators can use it to perform an initial evaluation as to whether a technology-delivered assessment is of sufficient quality that it can be accepted for a particular educational use. Adherence to these guidelines is of vital importance in reviewing, selecting, and using technology-delivered assessment instruments.

This report from the ERIC Digest demonstrates how an accurate assessment may be obtained by assembling and reviewing a portfolio of a child's work.

This study combines the insights of organizational change theory with current information about the implementation of new performance assessments. The study evaluates the effects of new performance assessments and provides guidelines for those wishing to implement such changes.

Plain-spoken definitions of the basic types of tests and measures and their characteristics.