Most educational objectives can be classified as either mastery or developmental. For mastery objectives, teachers can develop satisfactory assessment instruments relatively easily and can describe student achievement as "can do" or "can't do." For developmental objectives, there are a number of evaluation methods, and student progress varies in…

College IV, a cluster college of Grand Valley State College (GVSC), was established to eliminate many of the traditional barriers of access to education, particularly for the working adult. This report traces the formation and evolution of this four-year liberal arts college from its planning (1972-73) to its fourth year of operation (1976-77). In…

Vocational-technical students (n=92) and liberal arts students (n=156) were the subjects of a study conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of four instructional strategies intended to produce mastery. Strategies employed were: traditional instruction with no make-up exams; unlimited make-up exams with end of semester deadline; unlimited make-up…

One purpose of this paper is to describe how the concept of statewide minimum standards has been used in other states and to suggest precisely how it should be used in New Jersey. Current New Jersey law requires districts to establish pupil proficiency levels in basic skills, to identify children who fall below them, and to provide those children…

Discusses examples of community-based, performance-oriented community college programs, those emphasizing mastery of identified competencies, rather than grades or degrees. Outlines requirements for developing performance-oriented modules, which include establishing course scope and units of knowledge to be progressively mastered. (AYC)

Asserts that teachers should help students develop learning strategies, and describes how teachers' actions can increase students' success. Notes that, if students are given a "second chance" at completing their tasks, their chances of achieving academic success are improved. (MM)

Describes foundation and development of a performance-based teacher evaluation method developed in Missouri which makes mastery learning the basis for outcomes of instruction. Eight discrete parts of the teaching act characterizing successful teaching, four criteria important in performance-based evaluation development, and four definable phases…

Recommended strategies for improving the education of economically disadvantaged students include dispelling teacher misconception, hiring teachers from disadvantaged backgrounds, using noncredentialed staff from the community, emphasizing mastery learning and holistic teaching, and revising the curriculum to incorporate heterogeneously grouped…

Summarizes the classroom and school literature on the effects of teacher expectations, proposes a school-based model for the influence of teacher expectations on student performance, and describes applications of the model in Connecticut's school improvement efforts. (RH)

Intelligence is here defined in terms of component processes, and three programs are reviewed that train aspects of intelligence as specified by this theory: Feuerstein's "Instrumental Enrichment," Lipman's "Philosophy for Children," and the "Chicago Mastery Learning" program. Central suggestions are provided for…

This Delaware state content standards booklet for teaching grades 6-8 social studies in Delaware public schools begins with a one page chart outlining information for the disciplines of civics, economics, geography, and U.S. history. The booklet addresses standards for civics, lists end of cluster expectations for the end of grade eight, and cites…

Since the late 1960s when Benjamin Bloom outlined his mastery teaching strategy, mastery learning programs have been implemented, such as Learning for Mastery and the Personalized System of Instruction, and several experiments have been carried out to test whether the mastery learning technique has an effect on student achievement. This paper…

The mastery approach was taken with physical education majors at the sophomore level. The approach was based on several considerations which included the achievement of a minimum competency level. The students were allowed to select one of three options to achieve this level. (JN)

Presented are examples of the use of Student Research Projects to enable math educators to accomplish four tasks: (1) to increase the interdisciplinary nature of their course, (2) to involve the community more in education of students, (3) to encourage student participation in the solving of real life problems, and (4) to assist students in coping…

Historically ranked low on student performance, the New Orleans schools are fighting back with a new program called the Secondary Curriculum Improvement Program. (Author/JM)