A kindergarten teacher used portfolio assessment with her students. After researching portfolios, she compiled a list of components for her classes and began the school year. She found that students were enthusiastic about portfolios, parents felt portfolios told more than report cards, and she could better see student growth. (Author/SM)

Explores the benefits of using a voice-graded writing approach, which offers instructors an opportunity to engage in virtual office critiquing of student assignments. (SR)

Discussion of team teaching focuses on librarians team teaching a course on information search strategy at the Pennsylvania State Berks Campus Library. Course requirements are described, planning for the course is discussed, grading practices are reviewed, and course and instructor evaluations are described. (two references) (LRW)

Reports a study comparing Illinois high school band and choral directors' grading systems with systems proposed by principals. Concludes that principals placed more value on cognitive criteria and performance technique but less on concert attendance and behavior than did directors. Suggests that music educators develop course and grading systems…

An anthropology professor required students to compose essay questions that they felt summarized the principal issues and objectives of the course, based on lecture content. In the final examination, students were given several of their own questions to answer. Students felt they learned more from this format. (MSE)

The formula for improving U.S. schools can be found in the philosophy that helped transform Japanese industry and in Deming's 14 principles, emulated by many corporations. Deming's arguments against appraising individual performance through quotas or numerical goals call into question schools' current grading and merit pay practices. (12…

Studies writing teachers' rhetorical comments on student papers, including its historical background and as a recent phenomenon. Reviews the findings of an extensive study conducted on a sample of 3,000 student papers concerning instructors' rhetorical commentary. Outlines basic patterns and types of teacher comments. (HB)

The guide, designed for students enrolling directly in a French university in study to be credited toward a U.S. degree, provides general information about the French educational system, types of higher education institution, and university life. Practical information on course selection, registration, examinations, and grading is also included.…

Preferences for modes of student assessment were studied for 876 Nigerian high school teachers. A majority do not favor evaluation based solely on either the final examination or continuous assessment. The most popular method was allotting 60% of the grade to the final examination and 40% to continuous assessment. (SLD)

Discusses "grade inflation," and the pressure on instructors to "play grade roll politics to save their own professional hides." Argues that the grade deflation movement works at cross purposes with its goal of elevating academic standards, and that it is at odds with composition theory and its process pedagogy. Suggests…

Proposes guidelines for principals attempting to evaluate teachers' grading policies. Principals should understand teachers' perspectives, ask for copies of their grading policies, be wary of traits (like "effort") not measuring achievement, consider grading information quality, think about homework's role, expect teachers to use numbers and…

Argues that grades have negative effects on learning and self-concept. States that while grading has a long tradition of sorting children for college entrance, there is limited evidence that grades serve a valid purpose. Argues that this practice should be abolished and an evaluation system established that provides a more valid estimate of…

College students completed evaluation-of-teaching surveys in five different courses to develop an evaluation instrument that would provide results concerning faculty performance. Two questions examined students' expectations regarding grades. Results indicated a significant degree of expected grade inflation. Large proportions of students doing…

Investigates whether goodness of fit between teachers' and students' backgrounds is associated with subjective grading and objective achievement at school. One hundred one seventh graders and twenty of their teachers completed the Self-Report Family Inventory. Similarity between teachers' and students' work-culture variables was associated with…

Compared student self and tutor, student self and peer, and student and tutor grading using student constructed or tutor provided grading criteria at a British university for a total of 85 first-year biology students. Findings suggest that allowing students to construct their own grading criteria may lead to different learning outcomes compared to…