A national study examined the system of performance measures and standards that had been approved in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands in response to the 1990 Perkins Act. Descriptive survey and content analysis research methods were used to develop summary sheets categorizing the types of…

The framework and results of a study exploring the effects of alternative assessment on mathematics teaching are reported. The instrument for the observation of alternative assessment in the classroom, based on the processes defined by P. L. Peterson (1988), is described along with a discussion of the methodology and the data implications.…

Current assessments in education are described, with particular attention to assessments intended for vocational education in order to help teachers, administrators, and policy makers make sense of the variety of efforts now taking place. At the moment, there is a great deal of controversy surrounding educational assessment. Central questions are…

In an effort to evaluate the occupational success of graduates and to determine how well academic programs prepare students for work, Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) regularly conducts surveys of employers of PVCC graduates. In fall 1993, surveys were sent to the employers of 47 graduates from the class of 1991-92 who had previously…

Assessment cannot be considered separately from teaching and learning because assessments are the motivation for both teacher and student. This book explores a new system of assessment, not just modified tests. It describes for people inside and outside the educational community the kinds of assessment frequently mentioned in talk about…

Despite resistance from cultural separatists and essentialists, whites are increasingly teaching and studying ethnic literatures. A white African Americanist finds herself teaching African American literature to African Americans. In a first-year writing course she taught at Florida State University, she was the only white participant in a process…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on contextual learning issues. In "Creating Mosaics: The Interrelationships between Knowledge and Context" (Barbara J. Daley), nurses report using information from training programs to create a knowledge base for professional practice. "Analysis of Action Learning Experiences…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on motivation to learn and perform in the workplace. "Getting It Together: Motivations and Success Characteristics for Interorganizational Collaborations" (Mary Wilson Callahan) presents results of a literature review, a hierarchical framework of motivations for interorganizational collaboration,…

Time constraints often diminish college administrators capacity to address problems and concerns. The lack of time to accomplish administrative responsibilities can both produce and magnify stress. Perceptions of amounts of time spent on problems associated with 21 administrative activities were obtained from 373 public community, public…

The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) is addressing problems of evaluation of family literacy programs through portfolio assessment. Beginning in fall 1991, 15 programs began using portfolios to document parent-child interactions. This guide provides a description of the introduction of portfolio assessment into these programs and…

Claims that national tests will improve student learning are explored, asking whether national examinations will ensure high-quality instruction and greater student learning and whether tests developed to meet urgent political deadlines will retain essential features of authentic curriculum-driven assessments. Part I presents research evidence on…

Fifty-three supervisors in private sector firms and public sector organizations in central Ohio responded to questions about 16 aspects of productivity in the workplace. The firms and organizations with which these supervisors were associated had a history of hiring vocational-technical education graduates as well as those who had pursued other…

This report examines the long-term impact of Academic Program Improvement (API) grants made from 1980 to 1986 at the California State University (CSU), by assessing the factors that contributed to or inhibited permanent adoption of successful innovations. Questionnaires from and interviews with project directors and administrators associated with…

This study was conducted to examine attributions that teachers hold for students' academic success and failure, and the relationship between these attributions and teaching level and teacher perceptions of efficacy. Elementary (N=123), middle (N=55), and high school teachers (N=62) were surveyed; attributional data were gathered through the…

Materials are presented for conducting a workshop on increasing participants' awareness of how to integrate assessment options into a comprehensive plan. A typology for assessment options is provided that includes: (1) paper-and-pencil tests; (2) performance assessments; and (3) personal communications options. Assessment options are discussed in…