This study, conducted at the Buca Faculty of Education, Dokuz Eylul University (Turkey), sought to identify factors associated with academic failure of college students. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire titled "Perceived Causes of Academic Failure Inventory" that identified 10 subgroups of factors: teachers' behavior;…

A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of the use of portfolios in selected public elementary schools. Participants were asked for demographic information and information about the amount of training they had in portfolio use and the perceived strengths and benefits, weaknesses and barriers they find in portfolio use. A questionnaire…

This book is addressed to educators and work-place trainers interested in applying the Malcolm Baldrige award criteria and/or the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 training guidelines for program improvement. An initial section compares and contrasts the ISO standards and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award…

In fall 1992, a study was performed at Evergreen Valley College, in San Jose, California, to determine whether the presence of full-time instructional aides and part-time matriculation aides in four specific courses (English 321, 322, 330, and Math 12) led to increases in student success. Success was defined as receipt of a grade of…

The Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) has developed an Alternative Assessments in Practice Data Base to support technical assistance needs and to promote the exchange of new assessment ideas. The database is designed to provide easy access and retrieval of information about ongoing and newly developed…

The Certificate in Literacy and Learning was developed by the Manitoba Literacy Office in response to requests from students in adult education programs who do not have specific goals, but would like some recognition of the progress they have made. Taking the certificate is purely optional and students should never be pressured to do so. This…

This document contains a brief overview and introduction to the Urban District Assessment Consortium (UDAC), sample performance items with student responses, and sample open-ended items with student responses. The UDAC is a multiyear cooperative effort that is comprised of 11 major urban school districts across the United States and the Center for…

In spring 1994, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) collected information on student achievement in reading, U.S. history, and geography at grades 4, 8, and 12. To provide a context for interpreting NAEP findings, the project collected background information from students, teachers, and school administrators using separate…

In an effort to obtain a more complete picture of student outcomes, the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) undertook a 6-year study of the academic experiences of 10,777 students who entered in fall 1986 with no previous college experience. In addition to basic data on student characteristics, the study gathered information on student persistence in…

The work carried out in Edmonton School District Number 7 as part of the Educational Quality Indicators (EQI) project in the Alberta (Canada) schools resulted in development and validation of processes, criteria, and reporting methods related to student achievement in six "essential learning outcomes" keyed to the more traditional…

Performance-based assessments and the instructional programs from which they emerge and into which they fit demand intelligent caring teachers with experience and knowledge in assessments, instruction, student learning, and human development theory. Full implementation of performance-based assessments requires that teachers discuss performance and…

Three expert panels reviewed the 1991 Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) reading test. This was the first year of an assessment program designed to measure school progress toward, among other content areas, three reading outcomes: reading for literary experience, reading to become informed, and reading to perform a task. The…

This volume of an annual collection of essays relating to instruction in the basic communication course presents 1992 Speech Communication Association Basic Course Committee award winning papers, articles on teaching assistants in the basic course, approaches to teaching in the basic course, research on the basic course, and a commentary. Essays…

This digest discusses how well authentic mathematics assessment tests can be expected to meet the needs of mathematics instruction that focuses on conceptual insights and analytical skills. In the new mathematics curriculum, situational lessons or real-life problems attempt to include dimensions of thinking and reasoning, individual or small-group…

Six documents were reviewed and recommendations relevant to the work of the Advisory Committee on Testing in Chapter 1 were summarized. A brief description of a framework for discussing different uses of assessment is followed by specific recommendations from each of the following sources: (1) "Working Paper: Reauthorization of the…