This report, the fourth and final volume of a series, examines in a summary fashion the results from a massive study of performance appraisal policies and procedures currently used in Ontario school boards. The study, a two-year undertaking, focused on appraisal practices for certified educational personnel in Ontario: teachers, principals,…

To support a comprehensive look at the problem of increasing minority student achievement in the Montgomery County Schools (Maryland), this report reviews the literature to identify factors affecting minority achievement and to learn from 20 years of programs aimed at low achievers. Section I describes three types of intervention programs: (1)…

Competencies for production machine shop are provided for the first of four topic areas: principles and practice of machine shop. Each competency appears in a one-page format. It is presented as a goal statement followed by one or more "indicator" statements, which are performance objectives describing an ability that, upon attainment,…

A report is given on the attitudes of elementary and secondary public school teachers toward public education in the United States. Data were obtained by a nation-wide survey of 1,981 teachers. The report summarizes responses and information on: (1) major study findings; (2) a profile of teachers in the United States; (3) the job satisfaction of…

The composite of Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) subtests used to select applicants for entry-level training in Army clerical schools was evaluated by correlating composite scores with training performance scores. Comparisons were made between the multiple R for this optimal set of predictors and that for the composite of…

This manual provides information needed by students taking independent study courses (readings) in agricultural education, business education, home economics education, industrial education, or health occupations education as part of the Vocational Education Studies Program at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. The objectives of the…

The validity and reliability of two techniques of assessing writing proficiency were compared in a sample of 300 South African students (in Standard 8) for whom English was a second language. The objective, multiple choice method was compared with a subjective, essay method. Students completed a Standard English Second Language Item Bank Test and…

This guide is intended for vocational educators developing the vocational English as a second language (VESL) component of a course in cooking. The introductory section examines assumptions about second language learning and instruction and VESL classes, local adaptations of the curriculum, and sample VESL lessons. The chapter on language…

The longitudinal effects of Louisiana's Compensatory/Remedial Program upon student performance were assessed using data from four administrations of the Basic Skills Test (BST) between 1982 and 1985. Language arts and mathematics tests were administered in grades 2 through 5. Scores increased slightly between 1982 and 1984, and declined in 1985;…

Materials and approaches that college faculty can use to evaluate their instruction are described. This guide, prepared by a University of North Dakota (UND) faculty task force, describes new instruments, guidance for developing forms, ideas for interviewing and observing students, and suggestions for other approaches, including self-evaluation,…

The development of selected science process skills in required and elective science classes in three high schools of a suburban Oregon school district was investigated. Science process skill knowledge in the areas of classifying, observing, interpreting data, identifying variables, modeling, and measuring was assessed by administration of an…

A project was conducted to develop an assessment instrument for use in identifying welfare recipients who are potentially employable and to evaluate the effectiveness of Florida's three existing pilot employment assistance planning programs (termed PAPAs after the Public Assistance Productivity Act). Data on the employment status of 98 individuals…

A study examined the perceptions of employers in the aircraft maintenance industry regarding the effectiveness of recent graduates of Federal Aeronautics Administration (FAA)-approved maintenance schools. Of the 100 employers who were contacted, 68 returned usable surveys. Based on responses, it was concluded that the views of employers in the…

Drawing on work in general education, second/foreign language teacher education has begun to recognize that within its knowledge base, teachers, apart from the methods and materials they may use, are central to improving English language teaching. To understand the professional development of teachers in the English as a foreign language context,…

The Auditory Automotive Mechanics Diagnostic Achievement Test assesses an automobile mechanic's ability to determine mechanical faults from auditory cues alone. The 44-item test and its instructions are recorded on magnetic tape; answer choices are presented on tape, and are also written in the printed test booklets. The norming and validity…