The greatest danger was her own memory Fact: Twenty-five long years ago, Star Jones's parents had vanished. Now Star was haunted by dark images - were they nightmares or actual memories? With no real evidence, no family and no friends to help her, she had nowhere to turn - except to Austin Tack. When the P.I. accompanied Star, it wasn't merely to an old, forgotten murder scene, but on an emotional journey. And the longer Austin's piercing eyes seared Star's heart, the more desperate she became to remember the whole truth of that dark night so long ago.... Because if Star had no past, she and Austin would have no future.

IT WAS ALREADY TOO LATE TO AVOID THE HURT Paul Cypress thrilled audiences the world over with his velvet baritone voice. Accompanying him on the piano was more exciting than Shannon had ever anticipated. But she could not have foreseen her primal response to this darkly magnetic and sensuously handsome man. Despite his complexities, Paul had a power over her that Shannon could neither deny nor resist. Now he wanted her for his wife, but for all the wrong reasons. Even at the risk of losing Paul... even with the driving passion between them ... Shannon could never marry him without love!

Alanna Evans' nights had been sleepless too long when she met Alexander Knight, who did more to disturb her rest than all her business worries combined. He achieved what she had thought impossible: He stormed the citadel of her heart and stole the tender prize that was hidden inside. Suddenly vulnerable, Alan o a learned with tremulous joy what it meant to share a life and become one with the only man who mattered.

A Year of Mornings is a collection of ghazals that are quiet meditations on the early moments of each day, enveloped by themes exploring relationships, seasons, daily life, writing, as well as projections of hopeful dreams. These ghazals are reflected in accompanying illustrations to enrich the experience of these thoughts and happenings. Featuring illustrations by Christina Winther.

He was the right man at the wrong time Rachael Hubbard had crumbled after losing her husband and son. Unable to continue working on the comic book her husband had conceived. Rachael had fled to L.A. and a life-style than didn't require her to give of herself. But then Jason Burgess came along. Her new boss encouraged her artistic talent--and her affection--until she was forced to admit that her husband had deliberately fostered her feelings of insecurity. Unfortunately for Jason, Rachael also realized that she wouldn't be able to love again until she made a dream of her own come true ....

Foreword Acknowledgements Acronyms and abbreviations Executive summary Raising learning outcomes through student assessment Using teacher appraisal to support and incentivise good teaching Aligning school evaluation with its core purposes of accountability and improvement Creating a stronger framework to monitor and evaluate national progress in education Assessment and recommendations Introduction Main trends: despite strong participation in education, learning outcomes are not improving Younger generations show similar levels of educational attainment as their peers in OECD and EU countries Participation in higher education has expanded rapidly in the last two decades Learning outcomes are among the lowest in the region and are not improving More than three out of five 15-year-olds lack basic reading skills Neighbouring countries achieve better outcomes with the same level of education spending School location and language of instruction are strongly related to outcomes Evaluation and assessment in North Macedonia Setting goals for improving learning outcomes and measuring progress Strengthening professional competence Supporting and resourcing schools to lead improvement Raising learning outcomes through student assessment Policy issue 2.1 Making the results of student assessment more meaningful Policy issue 2.2 Focusing assessment practices on helping students learn Policy issue 2.3 Updating the state matura to encourage and assess better student learning in key areas Using teacher appraisal to support and incentivise good teaching Policy issue 3.1 Ensuring that entry into, and progression along the teaching career path is based on professional competence Policy issue 3.2 Developing a culture of learning and feedback in schools Policy issue 3.3 Strengthening external support for teachers’ professional development Aligning school evaluation with its core purposes of accountability and improvement Policy issue 4.1 Professionalising the State Education Inspectorate Policy issue 4.2 Ensuring that integral school evaluations focus centrally on improving school quality Policy issue 4.3 Developing schools’ capacity to carry out meaningful self-evaluation Policy issue 4.4 Providing schools with greater resources to enhance the quality and impact of school evaluation Creating a stronger framework to monitor and evaluate national progress in education Policy issue 5.1 Centralising the use of EMIS and improving its capacity Policy issue 5.2 Designing a national assessment that supports national learning goals Policy issue 5.3 Institutionalising system evaluation References Chapter 1. The education system in the Republic of North Macedonia Introduction National context Socio-economic context Further progress needed to reduce unemployment and poverty North Macedonia is ethnically and linguistically diverse Despite recent reforms, lack of transparency and accountability continue to hinder national development Governance and funding of the education system Governance of the education system The national strategy for education focuses on essential actions, but lacks goals and monitoring mechanisms Lack of professional capacity and unco-ordinated data systems weaken the Ministry’s ability to set and monitor policy goals Specialised bodies affiliated to the ministry provide technical expertise, but are weakened by lack of strong leadership and insufficient resources Recent reforms have decentralised education service delivery, but have not developed capacity to match While schools have significant autonomy, political interference and lack of support prevent them from fully using it Funding of the education system Public spending on education has been historically low, and is declining further North Macedonia’s limited resources could be used more efficiently Expenditure levels in the early years of education are comparatively low Municipalities have considerable autonomy for resource allocation, but little oversight Many schools lack basic resources Structure of schooling in North Macedonia General programmes Education is compulsory until the end of upper secondary school and predominantly publicly provided Satellite schools account for two-thirds of elementary schools Students from the main minority groups have the right to education in their mother tongue Schools struggle to respond to student demand Vocational education and training Students are tracked into VET or general schools at age 15 Both VET and gymnasium students can take the state matura which enables them to access tertiary education There are major reforms underway to improve the quality and labour market relevance of VET programmes Main trends in participation, learning and equity Participation Participation to compulsory education has increased, but a minority of students leave school before completing upper secondary Despite recent progress, access to pre-primary education remains limited and lower than in other Western Balkan countries There has been a rapid expansion of higher education, but with limited quality controls Tertiary programmes do not reflect labour market needs Learning outcomes Most 15-year-olds lack basic science, reading and mathematics Learning outcomes have stagnated and are among the lowest in the region Teaching and learning in the early years does not equip students with foundation skills Schools provide limited instruction time Schools have limited resources to support student learning Initial teacher education does not equip new teachers with minimum teaching competencies Teachers participate in professional development less than in many other countries Equity Little variation in education outcomes reflects a high share of low performers overall Disadvantaged students are less likely to participate in pre-primary education and upper secondary education Disadvantaged students are three times more likely to be enrolled in a pre-vocational or vocational programme than their advantaged peers Boys are under-achieving in school Disparities between rural and urban regions are still large Ethnic minorities face important challenges Conclusion Annex 1.A. Key indicators References Chapter 2. Raising learning outcomes through student assessment Introduction Key features of an effective student assessment system Overall objectives and policy framework The curriculum and learning standards communicate what students are expected to know and be able to do Types and purposes of assessment Classroom assessment Effective classroom assessment requires the development of teachers’ assessment literacy National examinations National assessments National assessment agencies Student assessment in North Macedonia Overall objectives and policy framework Recent curricula changes emphasise a more competency-based approach to teaching and learning Learning standards are comprehensive but fragmented Classroom assessment Students are graded on a five-point scale from grade 4 onwards From grade 6 onwards, marks from classroom assessments inform student pathways Classroom assessment focuses heavily on numeric grades There have been efforts to support teachers’ assessment knowledge and skills National examinations The state matura is a well-respected model across the region A decade after its introduction, there are aspects of the state matura that could be improved Alternative examinations to the state matura might also require review National assessment A new national assessment is in the early stages of development National assessment agencies The BDE supports teachers’ classroom assessment capacity The NEC is the examination and national assessment agency Policy issues Developing meaningful reporting of student results Develop coherent national learning standards Prioritise learning standards for reading and writing in grades 1-3 Introduce performance levels that set out how far students have achieved learning standards Align student assessment with national learning standards Support teachers in developing assessments that are aligned with learning standards Connect classroom assessments with the national assessment Enhance the accuracy and educational value of marking and reporting Extend the marking scale and link it with the national learning standards Support teachers to use the new marking scale through consistent moderation Emphasise that marks are to be used for monitoring student learning, not for ranking Consider introducing a project assessment at the end of lower secondary to inform students’ choice of upper secondary programme Focusing assessment practices on helping students learn Promote the use of diagnostic assessments, especially in early grades Use EGRA and EGMA as diagnostic assessments for young students Communicate that the purpose of diagnostic assessment is to support students and not classify them Provide and record high-quality feedback to support learning Update reporting structures to reflect the new marking scale Providing feedback to parents Recording descriptive feedback Remove barriers to providing formative assessment Remove rigid time expectations in the curriculum Allow for greater flexibility in the teaching of the curriculum in the integral evaluation process Strengthen support in schools for implementing formative assessment Updating the state matura to encourage and assess better student learning in the key areas Revise the matura design to provide more reliable results in key subjects Make mathematics a compulsory subject Create two versions of the mathematics exam, at basic and higher levels Consider extending further the core subjects that are assessed by the state matura Mark all subjects externally Standardise the project assignment Adapt marking and improve item quality to provide greater discrimination of student ability and motivate students to improve their learning Change the marking scheme to 1 to 10 Produce and analyse item statistics after the state matura has been administered Strengthen the VET component of the state matura Externally validate the VET subject of the state matura and link the results to certification Determine responsibility for assuring the quality and external validation of the new VET certification Require project assignments be related to VET Conclusion References Chapter 3. Using teacher appraisal to support and incentivise good teaching Introduction Key features of an effective appraisal system Teacher standards Standards provide a common reference point for teacher policies, including appraisal Initial teacher preparation Select candidates with strong academic skills and motivation to teach Set a rigorous certification process at the end of teacher education to make sure to select qualified new teachers Types of teacher appraisal A probation period and appraisal provides new teachers with essential support in their first year(s) on the job Regularly appraising teachers provides meaningful feedback and informs classroom practices Appraisal for promotion informs teachers’ career progression and rewards performance The teaching profession in North Macedonia Teaching workforce North Macedonia has a young and expanding teaching workforce Teacher salaries and career progression Teacher salaries are higher than in other Western Balkan countries There is currently no career advancement structure Initial teacher education and continuous professional development Entry to initial teacher education programmes is not selective Initial teacher training is mostly theoretical Participation in professional development is limited compared to OECD countries Teaching and learning Teachers have dedicated time for lesson preparation, but receive limited guidance on how to do so A multi-actor support team in schools is supposed to help teachers meet diverse learning needs Teacher appraisal in North Macedonia Teaching standards have been developed but are not yet implemented Initial certification does not provide a reliable indicator of teachers’ readiness to teach A probation period aims to provide important mentorship and feedback, but is rarely implemented in practice In practice, the probation appraisal is based only on the confirmation examination in many schools North Macedonia has three processes for regular appraisal Plans to introduce an external appraisal for promotion purposes remain on hold Appraisal for reward Policy issues Policy issue 3.1. Ensuring that entry into, and progression along the teaching career path is based on professional competence Recommendation 3.1.1. Introduce the planned performance-based teacher career structure Focus appraisal on collecting authentic evidence of teachers’ readiness to move up the career path Develop indicators and descriptors of quality teaching Develop BDE and VETC evaluators’ capacity for appraisal Link career promotion to a salary increase to reward performance Clarify the link between professional development and career advancement Recommendation 3.1.2. Select the most qualified candidates for teaching and ensure that they receive adequate support during probation Set higher standards for accreditation of initial teacher education programmes Make entry into initial teacher education more selective Consider introducing a national qualification exam Ensure that all teachers receive quality mentorship during their probation Make BDE advisors the final decision makers for probation appraisal Policy issue 3.2. Developing a culture of learning and feedback in schools Recommendation 3.2.1. Guide principals and pedagogues to make regular appraisal a more meaningful process Focus regular appraisal on teacher competencies Revise teacher portfolios Introduce self-evaluation Provide principals and pedagogue with training on teacher appraisal Recommendation 3.2.2. Develop the “Teacher Actives” Give “Actives” a clear mandate for teachers’ professional development Train co-ordinators of “Teacher Actives” and ensure that this role is recognised in the merit-based teacher career structure Recommendation 3.2.3. Review the role of the in-school support team Revise the role of the school support team Ensure that the school support team has the necessary skills and training to work as a multi-tier support team Policy issue 3.3. Strengthening external support for teachers’ professional development Recommendation 3.3.1. Ensure that professional development meets teachers’ needs Accredit training programmes based on teachers’ and national priorities Provide sufficient funding for teacher professional development Recommendation 3.3.2. Develop more digital resources to support continuous professional development Make better use of online training and sharing of lesson materials Develop online teacher networks Recommendation 3.3.3. Strengthen the role of the BDE Conclusion Notes References Chapter 4. Aligning school evaluation with its core purposes of accountability and improvement Introduction Key features of an effective school evaluation system Frameworks for school evaluation ensure transparency, consistency and focus on key aspects of the school environment Countries’ external evaluations balance accountability and improvement Evaluations aim to establish a school-wide perspective on teaching and learning Many countries have created school inspectorates in central government The consequences of evaluations vary according to their purpose Self-evaluation is an internal tool for improvement Effective self-evaluation requires strong school-level capacity Data systems provide important inputs for evaluation Principals must be able to lead school improvement Principals need a deep understanding of teaching and learning, and strong leadership skills to become instructional leaders Professionalising school leadership – standards, selection and appraisal School governance in North Macedonia Principals receive little training in instructional leadership and school management The hiring of school principals is highly politicised High turnover make it difficult to develop a professional school leadership body School boards are involved in key strategic decisions, but lack training and independence There are few formal school roles or bodies that support the principal School evaluation in North Macedonia School performance quality indicators set expectations for school evaluation but gaps remain School external evaluation does not fulfil its school improvement purpose The process and tools for evaluation do not reflect its intended purpose School integral evaluation reports are provided to the school and made public Evaluation is perceived to be high stakes by school actors The State Education Inspectorate lacks professional independence Inspectors receive little training or guidance on how to undertake evaluations The quality of school self-evaluation varies Schools’ capacity for self-evaluation is limited Other forms of school evaluation and quality assurance Policy issues Policy issue 4.1. Professionalising the State Education Inspectorate Recommendation 4.1.1. Guarantee the independence and integrity of the inspectorate Ensure the integrity and professional competence of the SEI’s director Ensure that inspectors undertake their role with utmost integrity Create a board to oversee the SEI’s work Make the SEI accountable for the quality of its work Develop a national vision of a “good school” Recommendation 4.1.2. Build the professional capacity of the State Education Inspectorate Reinforce the training of school inspectors Create a roster of licensed inspectors to undertake school integral evaluations Policy issue 4.2. Ensuring that integral school evaluations focuses centrally on improving school quality Recommendation 4.2.1. Revise school integral evaluation to focus more centrally on the quality of teaching and learning Revise the School Performance Quality Indicators (SPQI) framework to focus on core teaching and learning areas Streamline and reduce administrative reporting Revise classroom observations to focus on teaching and learning across the school Develop guidance on how to observe teacher practice and student-teacher interactions Recommendation 4.2.2. Make sure that integral evaluations deliver constructive feedback to schools Improve the quality of feedback to schools Create a more meaningful follow-up process, focused on schools in greatest need of improvement Communicate and educate the school community on the purpose of school evaluation Policy issue 4.3. Developing schools’ capacity to carry out meaningful self-evaluation Recommendation 4.3.1. Provide support and training for school actors on self-evaluation Revise school self-evaluation guidance Provide more training for school actors on self-evaluation Review and provide feedback on self-evaluation during integral evaluations Create an online portal for schools to share their experience with self-evaluation Recommendation 4.3.2. Develop school principals’ instructional leadership skills Create a leadership academy for principals’ initial training and continuous professional development Make school principals’ appointment transparent and solely based on merit Ensure that school principals’ renewal and dismissal are based on independent and external appraisal Policy issue 4.4. Providing schools with greater resources to enhance the quality and impact of school evaluation Recommendation 4.4.1. Provide schools with indicators and tools to measure their performance Strengthen the use of standardised measures of learning outcomes in school evaluations Rethink plans to rank schools based on students’ performance in the national assessment Simplify schools’ access to data and indicators Recommendation 4.4.2. Provide schools with adequate financial resources to implement their improvement plans Ensure that school resources are allocated fairly and transparently Provide schools with discretionary funds to implement their school plan Conclusion References Chapter 5. Creating a stronger framework to monitor and evaluate national progress in education Introduction Key features of effective system evaluation A national vision and goals provide standards for system evaluation Reporting against national goals supports accountability National goals are a strong lever for governments to direct the education system Tools for system evaluation Administrative data about students, teachers and schools are held in central information systems National and international assessments provide reliable data on learning outcomes Thematic reports complement data to provide information about the quality of teaching and learning processes A growing number of OECD countries undertake policy evaluations Effective evaluation systems requires institutional capacity within and outside government System evaluation in North Macedonia There is a national vision for education, but goals should be more specific and measurable Tools to collect evaluation information are unco-ordinated Administrative data collection does not always follow standard definitions and unified procedures Public reporting of education data are limited A new national assessment is being developed North Macedonia participates intermittently in international assessments Evaluation and thematic reports There is no annual report on the education system Some information from school evaluation is made available for system evaluation Donors and non-governmental organisations have undertaken valuable analysis Evaluation institutions There is little oversight of how municipalities use resources and no evaluation of how they set and achieve education goals Policy issues Policy Issue 5.1. Centralising the use of EMIS and improve its capacity Recommendation 5.1.1. Formalise EMIS as the central source of data Raise the prominence of EMIS by positioning it closer to central leadership Improve staff capacity Establish protocols for data definition, collection and retrieval from schools Standardise the collection of data across agencies and link those data to EMIS Establish quality assurance procedures to verify the accuracy of data that is entered Recommendation 5.1.2. Enhance the functionality of EMIS Create regular reporting procedures Develop a user-friendly portal to quickly retrieve contextual data Recommendation 5.1.3. Improve the articulation of national education goals and align future EMIS development with them Clarify national goals and create measureable targets Develop a national indicator framework and use it to co-ordinate data collection and reporting procedures Policy Issue 5.2. Designing a national assessment that supports national learning goals Recommendation 5.2.1. Determine the purpose of the national assessment and align its design to the purpose Establish a steering committee to define the purpose of the assessment Determine who will be responsible for the national assessment Consider making formative feedback to educators the primary function of the assessment Align the assessment’s design with its primary purpose(s) Combine census and sample-based testing Test mother tongue language and mathematics Create criterion-referenced scoring Develop different item types that are designed to assess student learning Consider computer-based assessment delivery Recommendation 5.2.2. Pay careful attention to the dissemination and use of national assessment results to enhance their formative value Avoid decontextualised ranking of individual schools and any judgements on individual teachers Create reporting structures to maximise the formative value of the national assessment Reporting assessments results to the public Policy Issue 5.3. Institutionalising system evaluation Recommendation 5.3.1. Build support for system evaluation through the creation of a policy analysis and research unit within the ministry Set up a research and analysis unit and clearly define its purpose Ensure the new unit has a prominent role in policy making Recommendation 5.3.2. Develop a wider network of research entities that contribute to system evaluation Clearly define the roles of the specialised agencies and ensure that they have consistent leadership Formalise the BDE as the research arm of government Define the research and evaluation functions of the NEC and the SEI Recommendation 5.3.3. Promote the sharing and use of evaluation results Annually publish an analytical education report Reinforce processes to embed the use of evidence in the policy-making process Recommendation 5.3.4. Strengthen local accountability Establish clear procedures for municipalities Consider establishing a local audit function to oversee municipal functions related to education Conclusion References Blank Page

<p><p>in Christopher Meeks's The Brightest Moon Of The Century, Edward, A Young Minnesotan, Is Blessed With An Abundance Of Experience-first When His Mother Dies And Next When His Father, An Encyclopedia Salesman, Shoehorns Edward Into A Private Boys School Where He's Tortured And Groomed. <br><br>edward Needs A Place In The Universe, But He Wants An Understanding Of Women. He Stumbles Into Romance In High School, Careens Through Dorm Life In College, Whirls Into A Tornado Of Love Problems As A Mini-mart Owner In A Trailer Park In Alabama, And Aims For A Film Career In Los Angeles. Will His Love For A Latina Prove To Be The One?<br><br>in Nine Chapters, The Reader Experiences Edward's Life From Ages 14 To 45. This Is The First Novel From Christopher Meeks, Which Follows His Highly Acclaimed Collections Of Short Stories, The Middle-aged Man And The Sea And Months And Seasons. Author And Humorist Sandra Tsing Loh Has Said, Christopher Meeks's Quirky Stories Are Lyrical And Wonderfully Human. Enjoy. <br><br>carmela Ciuraru Wrote In The Los Angeles Times Book Review Of Meeks's First Book, This Idea Resonates Throughout The Collection&#58; Meeks's Characters Seek Happiness In The Small Things Because They Have No Choice ... [the Stories] Are Poignant And Wise, Sympathetic To The Everyday Struggles These Characters Face.</p>

How can assessment and evaluation policies work together more effectively to improve student outcomes in primary and secondary schools? The country reports in this series analyse major issues facing evaluation and assessment policy to identify improvements that can be made to enhance the quality, equity and efficiency of school education. The Republic of North Macedonia has made remarkable progress in expanding access to education and strengthening institutional capacity. Yet, the majority of young Macedonians leave school without mastering the basic competencies for life and work and students' background continues to influence performance. This review, developed in cooperation with UNICEF, provides North Macedonia with recommendations to help strengthen its evaluation and assessment system, by moving towards a system where assessment provides students with helpful feedback to improve learning. It will be of interest to North Macedonia, as well as other countries looking to make more effective use of their evaluation and assessment system to improve quality and equity, and result in better outcomes for all students