The curriculum of the Life Orientation (LO) learning area forms an excellent basis for equipping learners to respond positively to social demands, assume responsibilities, and optimise their life chances. I report on a qualitative study that focused on the extent to which schools and LO teachers succeeded in achieving the outcomes of the…

For the past 15 years, economist Ronald Ferguson has investigated the myriad factors that combine to create racial disparities in academic performance. Beginning with his analysis of the impact of test scores in predicting racial wage gaps, Ferguson has explored how rates of progress in narrowing gaps have varied over the recent decades, the roles…

Living in an age of communication, literacy is an extremely integral part of our society. We are impacted by literature during our infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. "Literacy for the New Millennium" includes information from specialists in the field who discuss the influence of popular culture, media, and technology on…

This manual has been prepared for all New Mexico Statewide Assessment Program (NMSAP) assessment administrators, teachers, school specialists, and principals. It includes information about the following topics: PED contacts, New Mexico Standards Based Assessments (SBA), Grades 3-8 and 11; New Mexico High School Competency Examination (NMHSCE);…

The "Student Evaluation of Instruction" (SEOI) was administered to all full-time and part-time faculty. Approximately 96,255 surveys were sent out in 5,303 envelopes; 48,602 surveys were returned to the Office of Institutional Research. The return rate for the paper surveys was 51% including late submissions. Instructors' reports were…

The Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEOI) was administered to all full-time and part-time faculty. Approximately 96,972 surveys were sent out in 5,153 envelopes; 56,440 surveys were returned to the Office of Institutional Research. The return rate for the paper surveys was 58% including late submissions. Instructors' reports were provided to…

Attrition in engineering programs continues to be an important issue for universities across the country. This study examined the connection between student performance in barrier courses and persistence in engineering. Quantitative results showed that high school academic experience, student behaviors (including study habits, work habits, coping…

Reformed Theological Seminary's Virtual Campus has successfully taught the biblical languages online since 1999. This article describes the theoretical principles that underlie the design and asynchronous delivery of online Greek and Hebrew to part-time adult distance students. The structure and administration of the courses is discussed, as well…

The Yap Classroom Assessment Project is an attempt to introduce new methods of assessment, with an emphasis on performance assessment, into the practices of teachers in the Pacific, integrating the strengths of Yapese culture with children's education. The project, developed by the Pacific Region Educational Laboratory (PREL), concentrates on…

Research has revealed that students' alertness and attentiveness are affected by time of day preferences. A review of relevant literature indicated that preferences are significant in predicting performance levels for school children, and that matching students with peak times is not only beneficial for academic subjects, but also influences…

The framework and specifications for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment were developed in 1991-92 and field tested in 1993. The assessment was postponed, however, and will be administered in 1996. The framework calls for performance-based tasks that probe students' abilities to use materials to make…

The Learning Center (LC) at South Plains College (SPC), in Texas, was established to provide remedial instruction in learning strategies, reading, and writing; college-level instruction in critical thinking and human development; tutorial assistance; study skills seminars; and other services. During the 1994-95 academic year, over 3,466 students…

The Educational Testing Service is engaged in developing tests for teacher licensure, The Praxis Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers (TM). A central component of Praxis III: Classroom Performance Assessments is a set of proposed criteria that have been developed to assess the classroom performance of beginning teachers. The…

The Educational Testing Service is developing a series of assessments for the licensure of beginning teachers. The third stage of these assessments will measure the beginning teacher's application of teaching knowledge and skills, and the assessments will be performance-based. Job analysis studies were conducted to provide data to define the…

This paper discusses underlying beliefs about teaching that are related to the assessment of prospective teachers and elucidates some basic beliefs that are guiding the development of new types of assessments for new teachers. These new assessments are called "The Praxis Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers(TM)."…