Three papers are presented that summarize current project findings from a study of the actual effects of introducing new forms of assessment at the classroom level. All focus on aspects of performance assessment as an alternative to traditional assessments. "Effects of Introducing Classroom Performance Assessments on Student Learning" by Lorrie A.…

Untracking places previously low-achieving students (primarily from low-income and ethnic or language-minority backgrounds) in the same college preparatory academic program as high-achieving students. The Achievement via Individual Determination (AVID) program of the San Diego (California) schools shifts education policy for underachieving…

This practicum was developed to encourage the at-risk urban elementary school student to read for pleasure daily. Participants listened to their favorite rap songs, wrote lyrics for their own rap songs, and then read the lyrics as a text. The practicum was performed in a neighborhood community recreation center that serves urban students from…

The Scholarship Program in New York City was created to provide full tuition reimbursement to people pursuing study toward the New York State Certification in various shortage areas in exchange for employment within the New York City Board of Education. Participants had to have been continuously enrolled in an academic program, and to have agreed…

The National Alliance of Business (NAB) reported recently on the National Workforce Assistance Collaborative that works with community colleges and other educational institutions to build their capacity to develop the work force of the 21st century. NAB had conducted a series of focus groups with participants from business, industry, education,…

This study evaluated a Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools summer remedial reading and language mechanics skills program for participants in a job training program. The Summer Academic Skills Enhancement Program provided clients with the skills required for employment into entry-level positions in 160 curriculum hours. Seventy-one clients were…

Rock Point Community School's bilingual program is described. Located in the Navajo Nation in Northeast Arizona, the school began its English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction in 1960 and bilingual education in 1967. In 1982, the first high school seniors were graduated. By 1988, 43 percent of Rock Point students were dominant Navajo speakers…

The Associate Program for Adjunct Faculty (APAF) at College of the Canyons (CC) in Santa Clarita, California, includes instructional skills workshops and advanced teaching workshops designed to promote good teaching practices among part-time faculty. In March 1993, CC conducted a survey of teaching practices among the college's 160 part-time…

All entering freshmen at Bronx Community College (BCC), in New York, are required to enroll in an orientation/career development course which is taught by counselors and helps students with college procedures, curriculum choices, and occupational goals. To assess the college's career counseling services, a study was conducted to determine the…

The research project described in this paper was conducted for three purposes: (1) to identify the program evaluation needs of secondary vocational educators in Wisconsin; (2) to identify those components of the state's previous evaluation system that educators wanted to keep; and (3) to develop a conceptual framework for revising Wisconsin's…

In 1996, Missouri's Coordinating Board for Higher Education adopted a new strategic plan. This annual report describes the efforts in 1997, of Missouri's higher education community to meet these goals. The report's findings, which are listed by initiative, include the following: (1) institutional mission review and enhancement efforts entered…

The School-to-Work Urban Opportunities Program represents a 5-year commitment by the Houston Independent School District (HISD) (Texas) and the Houston Community College System to establish a program to facilitate students' development of the skills and abilities necessary to secure meaningful employment. The program involves one high school and…

One reason all 50 states have passed laws requiring school personnel to report suspected child abuse is that the school may be the primary setting in which children interact on a regular basis with nonfamily members. Because teachers interact with children on a daily basis, they are particularly well positioned to spot unusual behaviors in…

This document is the final report on the Pregnant Adolescent Substance Abuse Project (PASAP) conducted in Prince Georges County (Maryland) in 1987 and 1988. The PASAP consisted of two components that operated independently: an Early Intervention Program that increased the proportion of pregnant adolescent substance users who were using various…

This report presents the results of an achievement and enrollment study of the law and public service magnet program at the Northeast Law and Public Service Magnet High School (Kansas City, Missouri). Achievement test scores for students in the program were at or slightly above those of the district as a whole for the 1990-1991 year. It also was…