Projects are not new in education (for example, see Kilpatrick, 1918), but in the last 20 years, they seem to have become more popular in second language education, as projects fit with emphases on communication, tasks, cooperation among students, learner autonomy, curricular integration, alternative assessment, links between the classroom and the…

Although over 15 years have passed since Witt (1990) noted that no empirical evidence exists to support the contention that a collaborative approach to consultation leads to more positive outcomes than a hierarchical or expert driven approach, this issue generally remains unaddressed (Schulte & Osborne, 2003). While the literature documenting…

This checklist is intended to help communities evaluate their provision of Personal Assistance Services (PAS) for people with significant disabilities. Although PAS services are the key component of individualized supports for such persons, they should be considered in conjunction with other services. Essential qualities of effective PAS are: (1)…

This paper discusses the use of child development charts to assess the social, self-help, gross motor, fine motor, and language development of infants and young children. It examines the roles of teachers and parents in observing and assessing children's development and provides 2 checklists, one for infants from birth through 21 months (at…

This paper discusses the development of collaborative assessment models, using a laboratory study of rocks by middle school students as an example. It focuses on the use of collaborative assessment as part of an ongoing classroom process that involves the teacher, student, peers, and a family member. A schedule of checkpoints can be developed for…

The Hawkins-Stafford Education Improvement Amendments of 1988 established the National Cooperative Education Statistics System and directed the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics to support the development and implementation of standards for education data collection, processing, analysis, and reporting. The Cooperative…

The purpose of this document is to provide a guide for education technology planning. A state educational technology plan is a written strategy that outlines the way a state proposes to integrate educational technology into its overall educational goals. The report has been divided into three categories: preparing, writing, and evaluating. Stage…

This study was conducted to evaluate whether a brief self-description checklist may provide a viable method of quickly obtaining initial personality type information. The Personal Preferences Self-Description Questionnaire (PPSDQ) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) were administered to 420 college students, and PPSDQ item-response and MBTI…

This paper outlines how to teach an introductory workshop about the Internet. It includes field-tested instruction and materials, training session agendas, exercises, materials for use with or without hands-on computer work, a pre-workshop needs assessment form, an instructor evaluation form, and Internet navigation exercises. Although the field…

SHAPES--an acronym for the South Plains Child Care Management Services (SpCCMS) Helping, Assisting and Preparing Educators and Staff--is also the name of a preschool readiness curriculum that is being developed for use by administrators and teachers. The first phase of the curriculum development consists of the publication of five books to be used…

This Spanish-language poster provides a checklist of ways that parents can help their children with school work and thus support their academic success. The items are divided into three parts as follows: (1) providing support for your children, including a quiet, well-lighted study area in the home, needed supplies such as paper and writing…

This booklet examines the development of a student enrollment contract designed for home study and discusses the items that need to be included in the document, what a home study contract is, how to begin to design it, what areas the contract should satisfy, and the items that should and should not be included. Finally, samples of enrollment…

This booklet presents information designed to help teachers and parents of preschool children establish desirable behaviors and eliminate inappropriate behaviors. Several terms relating to behavior management are defined. Three types of behavior which must be discriminated, and appropriate responses to these types of behavior, are listed: (1)…

This paper presents one approach to assessment of students with severe mental retardation, as implemented in the Harris County Department of Education in Houston, Texas. The paper views assessment as a strategic problem-solving process that acquires information vital for making programmatic suggestions. The benefits of parental involvement in the…

The Helpful Entry Level Skills Checklist was designed to assist preschool teachers in selecting functional skills that children (including children with disabilities) may need to make a successful transition into the public schools. These skills, for the most part, deal with attending, compliance, ability to follow directions, turn taking, ability…