This document consists of assorted supplementary materials for a conference session on the topic of "Improving Education in America through Staff Development and Learning Technology." It contains (1) a preface; (2) a list of assumptions central to West Virginia's educational reform model; (3) a statement of the session's basic purpose,…

Summarizes the classroom and school literature on the effects of teacher expectations, proposes a school-based model for the influence of teacher expectations on student performance, and describes applications of the model in Connecticut's school improvement efforts. (RH)

Mastery learning represents a prolific area of research in educational psychology that encompasses two principal characteristics: (1) an optimistic set of assumptions regarding the capability of students to learn if alterable variables comprising the conditions of learning are optimized; and (2) an array of adaptive instructional procedures…

Outcome-based educational philosophical principles and program characteristics are described, with a focus on changes in the management of time, students, instructional resources, and testing required of both teachers and administrators by such programs. Outcome-based approaches require an instructional management system that is assessment-driven…

The problem facing Nigeria's teacher trainers is how to produce the right type of mathematics teachers from available resources. The mastery learning approach is seen as the solution to this problem. Bloom's Mastery Learning Approach and Carroll's Model of School Learning are discussed. (MLW)

Describes mastery learning, a teaching model that allows full inclusion of rural students with intense educational needs. The approach is based on curriculum modifications, team teaching, peer tutoring, and cooperative learning. Documents the success of mastery learning in the case of a rural first-grade student with Down's Syndrome. (LP)

Two approaches to measurement for instructional decision making (specific subskill mastery measurement and general outcome measurement) are described and illustrated with case studies. The paper concludes that measuring general outcome indicators can bridge traditional and contemporary assessment paradigms to form an innovative approach to…

We need a model that can guide middle school educators to implement multiple literacies (multiliteracies) so prevalent in today's global economy, but how can this be successfully accomplished in today's schools? As a result of content analyses, regular classroom observations, and interviews, the researchers document a framework for…

John Carroll's concept of mastery learning (ML) is described, and an ML model which can be used by directors of music-performing groups is presented. According to Carroll, any student, when given direction and time to follow that direction, can move along a time line from a state of inability to a state of ability. Tasks defined in behavioral…

The monograph summarizes characteristics of effective instruction of mildly handicapped and non-handicapped students by focusing on two literature areas: Instructional Psychology and Models of School Learning. The review on instructional psychology covers the following areas: definitions of instruction, principles of learning, models of the…

This report describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs designed to improve the educational opportunities of working class children in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. First, an overview of the objectives, program types, timetable and organizational structure is presented. Secondly, programs are described according to three…

Effective curriculum is based on a mastery learning model. According to Carroll's mastery learning model, learning rate is partially a function of student "perseverance" or time on task, which is in turn determined by a learner's entering repertoire and the quality of instruction. Although the mastery-learning model looks simple, its execution is…

While no one method can possibly solve all the problems in an educational system, the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) addresses many. The PSI method is a self-paced, mastery learning approach based on reinforcement and personal attention. It is typified by five characteristics that help to meet or minimize the adverse aspects of…

Literature on mastery learning (ML) is reviewed from the perspectives of past efforts, current approaches, and future directions. To date, approaches in managing the ML literature have been in four major areas: (1) the "typing" of ML efforts in the context of a comprehensive literature review; (2) the compilation of state-of-the-art bibliographies…

This paper presents a discussion of outcome assessment that puts into context how measurement has evolved to its present state. Several types of testing and assessment options are considered against a background of validity. Criterion-referenced measurement is discussed extensively in terms of history, field study, identity problems, intellectual…