The 1970 edition of the faculty handbook is divided into three areas: (1) duties and privileges of the faculty; (2) financial matters and fringe benefits; and (3) academic procedures. Among the items detailed are faculty meetings; academic council; academic freedom; tenure; teaching load; faculty responsibilities beyond the classroom; appointment…

Policies and procedures for academic affairs are detailed in the 1974-1975 edition of the faculty handbook. Areas of concern are presented alphabetically and include: absences, academic classification, admissions requirements, advanced standing, appealing grades, curriculum changes, course or college withdrawal, fees, graduate courses and…

This discussion attempts to acquaint parents with the reasons for teaching writing in grades 1-12 and with some of the processes by which teachers guide students in learning to write. Specific topics include the practical need for writing, the differences between written and spoken languages, the ways children learn to write, the topics they write…

The State of Florida allocated funds for a new Social Science building at Broward Community College, North Campus. The ground floor was to be devoted to the Behavioral Science Department. Using the results of a previously-completed departmental self-study which surveyed departmental purposes, the present status of each course, teaching methods,…

This document applies the tools of economics (consumer choice theory, wage theory, and collective choice) to develop an economic theory of learning. It examines the choice process of acquiring knowledge. The choice of one program (physics) over others (history, math) is clearly important in that physics knowledge and history knowledge cannot be…

The relationships that exist between written compositions of fourth-grade students and various teacher influences were investigated in this study. Relationships examined were those between the student's achievements in composition and (1) his teacher's writing ability, (2) his perception of other students' writing, his classroom, his assignments,…

During 1967-1968, the English Department at Pennsylvania State University, York Campus, used cartridge tape recorders on a trial basis to grade student themes. Each student in a two-term composition course purchased one tape cartridge which he submitted with each theme. While correcting the theme, the instructor recorded comments on the student's…

The result of a study designed to assess student attitudes toward grading practices are discussed. Questionnaire responses of 3439 students in three institutions were tabulated. Responses were generally negative toward conventional grading systems. (MS)

Presents an experimental primary trait rubric designed to assess a writer's support for an argument, and structured as an eleven-cell grid on which a rater can plot a student's score. Describes the grid, and its use in a study of 1,892 eleventh-grade essays. Also describes ways to use the grid to teach invention and arrangement. (JG)

Guidelines for a workshop to make teachers aware of the need to set standards for oral proficiency in the classroom are presented. Oral communication skills must be considered separately from other forms of class participation to facilitate a more objective evaluation. (Author/LMO)

This issue of the SERVE magazine discusses using assessment and accountability to improve student learning. Articles include: (1) Can High-Stakes State Testing Be Improved? (Wendy McColskey and Nancy McMunn); (2) Standards of Classroom Practice: Defining a Vision of Quality in the Classroom (Nancy McMunn and Wendy McColskey); (3) Taking a Close…

The 2006 "Journal of Music Teacher Education" yearbook includes all the articles and columns from Volume 15 of the journal, published online in Fall 2005 and Spring 2006. The articles cover a variety of topics related to music teacher education, such as burnout, service learning, healthy approaches to competition, video technology, professional…

Take a walk down Memory Lane... In 1940 when AACRAO's new release "The Work of the Registrar" was written: Yale tuition was fifty dollars per quarter; colleges had curfews for women and dress codes; the average salary was $1,299 annually; first class stamps were three cents; and colleges sent progress reports home to parents. Read about what has…

An approach to assessment is described that allows students to understand and help decide the criteria for good work. It is called "negotiable contracting." Negotiable contracting consists of giving students shared ownership in their own learning. The teacher serves as a facilitator of discussion of the assessment process. Students and the…

This book offers case studies with the intention of eliciting the active participation of its readers. Five discussion questions follow each case to promote reflection and discussion by teachers. The book can be used as whole or in parts by leaders within an institution or by a speaker/discussion leader presenting at other colleges. In addition,…