Exhibitions are public demonstrations of mastery that occur at culminating moments, such as at the conclusion of a unit of study, the transition from one level of schooling to the next, and graduation. Exhibitions require students to speak publicly, use evidence, present engaging visual displays, and otherwise demonstrate mastery to educators,…

Describes efforts to help teachers learn to use new math and reading assessments in their classrooms, highlighting characteristics of professional development that successfully foster change in teachers' ideas and practice. After describing a multi-year staff development/research project on assessment, the paper discusses factors that support and…

Addresses the discord between school-reform efforts and many jurisdictions' accountability requirements. The paper explores the elements of school accountability systems that aid and impede innovative practice. Information comes from principals at 20 reforming schools who spoke about the impact of accountability tests on school reform. (SM)