Reviews two multimedia software programs. One allows the user to dissect a frog, the other creates print-based documents such as posters, greeting cards, banners, and calendars. (AEF)

A Deming expert explains that his 14 principles are no recipe but must be combined with the theory of profound knowledge, which poses essential questions and recognizes the importance of human variation, intrinsic motivation, and external rewards. She also debunks grading, formal teacher evaluation, tracking, and decentralized management. (MLH)

Discusses the teachers' roles and responsibilities in classroom mathematics assessment in the context of the "Standards for Teacher Competence in Educational Assessment of Students." Considers the issues of choosing and developing appropriate assessment methods, obtaining and using assessment results, and communicating assessment…

Describes one teacher's implementation of subjective grading to assess student's achievement on mathematics tests. Reports student and parent reactions to the method. Shares five practices that developed with the experiences, and provides an example of the grading policy utilized. (MDH)

Researchers assessed grading practices in college personal health (PH) courses, examining students' PH grades and comparing them with other course grades for 29 semesters. Certain students completed the Health Knowledge Inventory before and after PH courses. Though PH students received relatively high grades, they experienced only modest health…

Reports on a study of the impact of student evaluations of higher education economics instructors on faculty behavior and grades. Finds that initially grades increased but then declined over a nine-year period. Recommends further research on this issue. (CFR)

The author argues that ethical college teaching requires that teachers focus on ideals: goals and aspirations reaching beyond merely correct behavior that satisfies basic moral requirements. This includes the obligation to be professionally competent, fair in grading, fair in making recommendations, and fair to their colleagues. (MSE)

The appropriateness of using Steps 1 and 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) to make individual academic decisions and the appropriateness of determining course grades with scores from the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) subject tests are examined. Underlying philosophical and psychometric assumptions are…

When parents objected to a new performance-based achievement scale, a Wisconsin school revised its report card to reflect traditional letter grades for each main subject area, using the new scale to measure component skill areas. Schools can weather controversy by making report cards reflect school philosophy, involving school personnel and…

This article is organized into two parts: (1) a review of literature on teachers' grading practices, and (2) a discussion of the findings about teachers' grading practices in light of evaluation and motivation theory. The discussion considers both research implications and practical recommendations. (Author)

Ways to use standard-setting data to adjust cutoff scores on examinations are reviewed. Ten sources of information to be used in determining standards are listed. The decision to modify passing scores should be based on these types of information and consideration of adverse impact or rating process irregularities. (SLD)

A study of the writing of 28 geography students at Otago University (New Zealand) compared aspects of the essays with grading and rater comments. It is concluded that, although study manuals for essay-writing can help some students, their advice may not be useful to all; other methods may be more helpful. (Author/MSE)

The crisis confronting calculus and mathematics education generally results from a number of failed assumptions implicit in the dominant lecture-homework-exam methodology used in teaching mathematics. Positive resolution of this crisis can be found in adopting a noncompetitive, collaborative approach to mathematics education. (Author)

Pedagogical and administrative problems in teaching English to native speakers are reviewed, including criteria for students and teachers and lack of a graded syllabus. Guidelines for solving these problems are proposed. (LB)

Students in an educational psychology course were offered the opportunity to earn a grade bonus by writing test items on content to be covered the following week. Results show both internal (student) and external (manipulable) factors had considerable influence on effort and persistence. A classroom procedure to enhance student motivation is…