Monitoring the Standards of Education

This book takes stock of the best available knowledge and expertise in the domain of monitoring standards, tested both in highly and less developed countries. For every aspect, the best theory is offered, without unnecessary technicalities, in the light of the state-of-the-art, with the clarity that characterizes scholars who are masters of their field. Monitoring the Standards of Education should be on the desk of every person concerned by the problem. D. de Landscheere, President, International Academy of Education, 1994. This is an important book for those concerned with comparative education, and has something to say to those with more parochial interests too...an excellent introduction to the focus of the book. It has a refreshing clarity and directness in dealing with concepts and definitions in a difficult field. Similarly, it offers real insights into the forces, political, economic, and others which have influenced the growth of educational monitoring, especially in the international arena...technically impeccable, and written in a way which makes it accessible to the intelligent layman... I would recommend it as an essential reference for all those concerned with comparative education, and of interest to anyone involved with the the techniques of educational evaluation in general. British Journal of Educational Studies Terry Crooks, University of Otago ...well presented and readable... I can recommend it to readers with an interest in learning more about national and international monitoring of education. New Zealand Journal of Education Studies This collection of manuscripts should be of interest to all who are concerned with educational standards..the best of the chapters in the book trace the concerns and the history of the shift in monitoring educational systems from monitoring inputs and processes to monitoring outputs...the issues that educational policy makers Teachers and Teaching John Izard This book provides valuable insights into understanding the development of standards, the collection of appropriate representative evidence, and the interpretation of that evidence. Every critic and every supporter of the large-scale assessment of educational achievement should read this book. Australian Educational Researcher Thomas A. Romberg This collection of manuscripts should be of interest to all who are concerned with educational standards...the best of the chapters in the book trace the concerns and the history of the shift in monitoring educational systems from monitoring inputs and processes to monitoring outputs...the issues that educational policymakers have faced in developing such systems, the technical issues addressed, and the political concerns that drove them. Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice

• Section headings: List of Figures. List of Tables. Preface. A Tribute to John P. Keeves. Monitoring the Standards in Education: Why and How it Came About (T. Husen, A. Tuijnman). Monitoring and Evaluation in Different Education Systems (T.N. Postlethwaite). The Design of Indicator Systems (N. Bottani, A. Tuijnman). Toward an Empirical Taxonomy of World Education Systems (H.J. Walberg, G. Zhang, V. Daniel). Approaches to Setting and Selecting Achievement Standards (R.M. Thomas). The Validity and Reliability of Outcome Measures (R.M. Wolf). The Monitoring of Cognitive Outcomes (I. Mullis, E. Owen). The Monitoring of Affective Outcomes (J.V. Torney-Purta). The Determination of Cut Scores for Standards (E.J. Gonzalez, A.E. Beaton). Methods and Issues in Setting Performance Standards (G. Phillips). Assessment of Educational Change: A Review of Selected Threats to Validity (M.L. Bourque). International Standards for Educational Comparisons (A. Schleicher). About the Authors. Author Index. Subject Index. 10 line illus., 1 half-tone illus.