This paper reports on a newly designed judgmental method for setting test performance standard that: (1) overcome many of the practical and psychometric problems associated with the Angoff and Ebel methods; (2) can be used to set multiple cut points on a score scale; (3) may be readily and efficiently implemented with assessments that use…

This resource guide tells the story of Alaskan women and minority aviators and those in aviation-related businesses, from the early 20th century to the present. Developed for secondary students but also suitable for younger students, the guide combines six accounts of Alaskan women and minority aviators with classroom activities centered around…

This study assessed the quality of undergraduate education at the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) using student evaluations as the assessment tool. Educational quality was defined as good scores on the UCSD Course Appraisal and Professor Evaluation (CAPE) form. UCSD's CAPE is unique because students collect, compile, and make public the…

In light of research findings on how calculators can enhance mathematics learning, this study investigated the uses of hand held, non-programmable, scientific calculators in secondary mathematics education throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley (New York). The study gathered data from 18 high school principals and 25 mathematics teachers in 32 school…

Wisconsin has been exploring educational targets or outcomes since 1992 in conjunction with legislation mandating student assessment. While the establishment of outcomes does not necessarily indicate that a school subscribes to an outcome-based education (OBE) philosophy, the two could go together. OBE requires identification of outcomes prior to…

Critical evaluation of instructional materials is an important but often neglected aspect of instructional preparation. This study proposes evaluation that is more theoretically grounded in sociocultural and context-sensitive bases than are many evaluation guides. A new instrument was developed and applied to materials for teacher education as…

The Barnum Effect was generated to teach students about the ethics of deception in research and the feelings of subjects who are deceived. The Barnum Effect occurs when individuals are duped into believing invalid results of psychological tests. People are most accepting when given favorable feedback about themselves. They interpret evaluations as…

This paper presents the results of a comparison of the effects of gender on fourth-grade students' learning in hands-on science. This study is part of a 3-year classroom based project of hands-on science in 6 urban and 2 suburban classrooms (n=171). Half of the teachers used a supported-inquiry approach, and half used activity-based science to…

This report describes a program for increasing connections between curricula, and increasing consistency between classrooms in classroom management techniques in order to increase student self-esteem, reading level, and academic success. The targeted population consisted of 67 ninth-grade students in a growing middle class community in northern…

In 1997 the Austin Independent School District (AISD) (Texas) launched the Austin Collaborative for Mathematics Education (ACME), a project funded by the National Science Foundation to improve mathematics education districtwide. The initiative provides all K-8 mathematics teachers in the district with long-term professional development and…

This 1-year project identified several goals to increase the awareness of chemical abuse among older women, older adults, and disabled people. The goals included: develop an assessment instrument; identify chemical health service providers; develop a process to coordinate outreach and case-finding; develop a guide for chemical health service…

Though increasing attention has been focused on overcoming basic and functional illiteracy, little attention has been paid to adult literacy educators' professional development. A study identified the education and training needs of Florida's literacy leadership. Instructor and administrator surveys were sent to all agencies receiving funding from…

Since the mid-1980's, computers in elementary and middle grade schools have functioned to a large extent as a medium for student practice in the skills and concepts of basic mathematics and logic. This report presents the results of a 2-year nationwide field experiment designed to provide credible evidence about the effects of using computers in…

Future teachers were surveyed on their perceptions of the impact of their teacher preparation program upon their success in student teaching. Forty-one undergraduate elementary education majors were surveyed before and after the student teaching experience. Preliminary results suggest that prior to student teaching, these prospective teachers…

This publication is designed to facilitate program assessment involving women's studies courses by setting feminist principles of assessment in the context of the larger assessment movement. It features innovative assessment designs, a variety of methodological approaches, and practical advice about how to conduct a productive assessment project…