Designed for general and special education administrators, teachers, and other education professionals, this book offers a "big picture" of high expectations, assessment, and accountability for students with significant disabilities. Chapters focus on the following eight steps involved in the development and administration of alternate…

This is a compilation of presentations delivered at the National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys' Annual School Law Seminar: (1) "Environmental Hazards for Urban Schools Facing the New Challenge" (Kelly Frels, Kevin A. Ewing, Timothy A. Wilkins, Jason B. Hutt); (2) "How Accommodating? High-Stakes Testing and Federal Laws That…

The impact of generic competencies on workplace performance was examined through a review of literature and evaluation research which focused on conceptualization and piloting of the following key competencies in Australia in 1993-1998: collecting, analyzing, and organizing information; communicating ideas and information; planning and organizing…

A prevailing assumption underlying statewide performance-based assessments is that they not only serve as motivators in improving student achievement and learning, they also encourage instructional strategies and techniques in the classroom that are more consistent with reform-oriented educational outcomes. Given these high expectations, more…

This guide is designed to help the user better understand the different types of career assessments and how the user and others may want to use them to make career decisions. Information is presented in question and answer format. These topics are covered: how assessment tests can help; how assessments are used by counselors and employers; how…

The purpose of this essay is to explore both what is known and what needs to be learned about the information value of performance items "when they are used in large scale assessments." Within the context of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), there is substantial motivation for answering these questions. Over the…

The present study builds on the earlier work of Thurlow et al. (1995) and Guy et al. (1999). These earlier studies examined state graduation policies and diploma options across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The purposes of these earlier studies were to: (1) provide policy makers and state education agency personnel information on the…

Limited information is available regarding the factors that promote persistence by women in engineering programs. Stated simply, the problem is that the number of women engineers continues to fall short in comparison to the gender ratio of women to men in the population in the U.S. (BEST, 2002) and worldwide (Hersh, 2000). More women engineers are…

A report on how individual students respond to a course in plant anatomy using self-instruction and group interaction is presented. Learning profiles are described. Assessment tests measured performance in four capacities: recall of knowledge, comprehension, application and short-chain problem solving. (Author/MLW)

The generally prescriptive approach to the evaluation of teaching by students is criticized. Examples are given of how the lack of prescription enables teachers to use evaluations in a more varied, relevant and innovative manner. A student evaluation project at Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham is described. (Author/MLW)

The simultaneous effects of two instructional variables of degree of teacher direction (student- versus teacher-directed) and time allowed for study and the student variable of general ability are described for student achievement (N=912) in three life-science instructional modules. (Author)

This project monitored the extent students demonstrated actual mastery of the role cluster associated with their academic level and recorded both the introductory experiences they had in advanced roles beyond their cluster, and field experiences in which their performance in one role accelerated their proficiency in another. (Author/MLW)

Discusses the advantages of creating teaching portfolios. Portfolios help teachers examine how and why they teach, how they change, whether they evaluate, and whether they get and give feedback. The self-reflective statements must be supported with personal materials, student and colleague feedback, and excellence in teaching products. (SM)

Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 were used to identify factors related to gender differences in tenth-grade science performance. The advantage found for eighth-grade boys had widened by tenth grade. Findings emphasize the importance of active classroom involvement as a way of promoting gender equity. (SLD)

Describes the design of an electronic performance support system (PSS) that was developed to help sales and support personnel access relevant information needed for good job performance. Highlights include expert systems, databases, interactive video discs, formatting information online, information retrieval techniques, HyperCard, computer-based…