The present study contributes to the development of effective measures to evaluate classroom climate, especially in elementary education where these remain limited. In addition, it addresses a typical "flaw" of several studies by approaching classroom climate as a group-level construct rather than an individual characteristic. Following…

Although priding itself on high rates of literacy achievement, New Zealand's track record in the last two decades has noticeably declined. Successive New Zealand governments have invested heavily in trying to redress this decline with limited success. Demographic changes in population due to immigration provide a partial explanation, but arguably,…

Describes two research projects linking family processes with elementary school children's competence in school to provide examples of methodological issues related to investigations that cross systems of family and school. Issues discussed include gaining cooperation from school, recruitment and consent procedures, data collection and measurement…

Neither teachers nor supervisors benefit from poor evaluation methods. Effective evaluation ultimately depends on the presence of open trust and communication within an organization. "Drive-by" shooting evaluations are often poorly disguised attempts to weed out a faculty member by confronting that person with virtually nothing but negative…

Seventeen Canadian teachers and administrators were interviewed to determine their perspectives on reading education. Forty-two interviews were transcribed and evaluated. Preliminary analysis reveals that assessment as a social-psychological phenomenon is filled with tensions, contradictions, and dilemmas that cannot be solved simply through…

The effectiveness of an Education Consolidation Improvement Act Chapter 1 program was studied in a large urban school district. A common problem in evaluating remedial programs is that pretest/posttest achievement gains often indicate the effects of the entire curriculum, rather than those specific to the remedial class. In this district, over…

Examines six challenges that face teachers interested in developing alternative assessments of literacy: (1) clarifying goals; (2) clarifying audiences; (3) selecting and developing assessment techniques; (4) setting performance standards; (5) establishing methods of management; and (6) integrating assessment and instruction. (SR)

Addresses the challenge of finding or creating alternatives to tests and traditional grading systems. Reflects on and describes the experience of creating an assessment tool and cautions against choosing alternatives that merely camouflage the grades. Encourages educators to find authentic alternatives to describe children's growth. (BAC)

Discusses the need for good reading assessment that is authentic and trustworthy with clearly established procedures for gathering information. (MG)

Discusses the current state of alternative assessment programs, focusing on results of studies the authors conducted in two school districts. Shares implications for policy and for curriculum and instruction. (MG)

Identifies and analyzes seven threats to authentic evaluation, and predicts implications. Warns educators to beware of the term "standards"; norm-referencing; aggregation; credibility, comparability, and calibration; multiple measures; schemes that rule out varieties of excellence; and "untests." (SR)

Provides information useful to educators who are rethinking their current approach to assessment and identifies characteristics of each assessment that seem particularly noteworthy. Concludes by raising a number of questions that should be considered before deciding whether or not to use these new performance-based assessments. (MG)

Reviews background information about portfolio assessment. Describes the experiences of the faculty in one school with a schoolwide portfolio assessment system. Shares struggles and solutions which may be valuable to others seeking to develop alternative assessment programs. (MG)

Examines consequences of using alternative definitions for prevalence, sex ratio and heritability. Demonstrates that the characteristics of reading-disabled children vary with the way disability is defined. Concludes that the use of regression-based procedures for identifying reading disability is desirable. Suggests insufficient evidence exists…

Argues that assessment based on the content of a reading curriculum will not necessarily promote more effective instruction than one not so based. Focuses on reading ability, individual differences in the ability to read, instruction in reading, curriculum-based assessment of students' skill in reading, and assessment of comprehension. (RJM)