This study investigated an apparent dilemma suggested by previous research on faculty orientations toward students and academic standards. Some research suggests that encouraging faculty to be student-centered is an effective way to increase student learning and development, while other research indicates that being student-centered leads to…

Much discussion in educational circles centers on such issues as assessment, student performance, parent conferences, and related topics. The 1996 Yearbook provides information about and examples of outstanding assessment reporting systems in use in the United States and Canada. The following contributions are included: (1) "Introduction" (Thomas…

Documenting the fall 1996 session of the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges (CCC), this six-part report details 39 resolutions that were adopted by the Senate, 1 that was determined to be non-urgent, 3 that were referred, and 10 that failed. The first part presents the adopted resolutions organized by the following areas: (1)…

Documenting the spring 1997 session of the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges (CCC), this six-part report details 44 resolutions that were adopted by the Senate, 3 that were determined to be non-urgent, 3 that were referred, and 8 that failed. The first part presents adopted resolutions organized by the following areas: (1) the…

Student teachers, beginning teachers, and experienced teachers bring with them to the classroom a set of practical theories acquired from many experiences and influences. Because of their nature, practical theories are hard to change. Sets of more permanent practical theories can be considered practical paradigms; they are shared by the school…

This guide for college teachers, written from a British perspective, focuses on economic and efficient practices for assessing students. The guide groups various practices under 10 major strategies: (1) decide whose interests assessment is serving; (2) avoid over-sampling the course; (3) avoid over-questioning; (4) avoid over-reading student work;…

This research study used a system of microcomputers interconnected with electronic meeting system software as a possible means of overcoming the grading and participation disparity problems associated with group work sessions conducted in face-to-face meetings. The purpose of the study of 20 undergraduate business students at the University of…

This paper examines grading policies and the college student culture, as part of an ongoing collaborative study of the socialization of beginning teacher educators on four campuses. Utilizing a combination of participant observation and action research to arrive at a better understanding of grades and the improvement of grading practices, four…

Documenting the 1998 fall session, this report provides resolutions considered by the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges. The resolutions that passed are divided into the following sections: (1) academic senate; (2) accreditation; (3) affirmative action/cultural diversity; (4) articulation and transfer; (5) budget and finance;…

The scoring method that will be applied in the current 12th-grade science assessment project of the National Science Foundation and the Office of Educational Research and Assessment is described. The method, "graded mark-point" scoring, is modeled after procedures developed by P. Tamir for use in the performance exercises of the Israeli…

In an attempt to make grading a less arduous, and more accurate, objective task, a checklist of criteria was utilized to grade psychology term papers at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. The method appeared to generate more feedback and lead to greater consistency, as well as a better understanding among students of the grade received. In order…

The purpose of this booklet is to discuss how the curriculum is changing and what assessment methods are needed to monitor and measure the performance of students in the restructured science curriculum. Sections in this booklet include: (1) The need for alternate assessment, (2) Performance assessment, (3) Observation and questioning, (4)…

Developed for the Duval County Public Schools (Jacksonville, Florida), this manual gives elementary school teachers information on instructional program procedures. Section one is about the reading program and deals with placement procedures and criteria for kindergarten and first grade students, initial placement procedures for grades two-six,…

This article discusses what EFL instructors and their students like and dislike about error correction and paper marking and discusses what this means for classroom teaching. The article lists the benefits and drawbacks of error correction for students' writing and argues for the need to look at preferred methods for both teachers and students. It…

An experimental one-year course in English for freshman nonmajors at a Japanese university is described and discussed. Classes, comprised of over 50 students, met once a week for 90-minute lessons. The syllabus focused on the thorough learning of short, humorous stories and activities developed from the stories. In class, English was used as much…