This appendix accompanies "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better. A Large-Scale Study of Middle Grades Practices and Student Outcomes. Initial Research Report." This appendix focuses on the findings and domain comparisons of the study. This appendix contains the following: (1) Decision Rules; (2) Full Set of…

Student assessment, from the classroom to the state and national levels, is changing. The era of norm-referenced, multiple choice, standardized tests may be coming to an end, to be replaced by other forms of assessment, not all equally good. This guide outlines a vision of what assessment in the service of learning can be and provides ideas,…

This monograph, which was developed for home economics teachers, describes six alternative assessment techniques and contains sample assessment instruments and guide sheets. Discussed in the introduction are factors contributing to the increasing popularity of alternative assessment and the distinguishing features of the alternative assessment…

Many college and university teachers across the United States remain hostile, at least privately, to student evaluation of faculty performance despite the general use of such evaluation in the academy for the past three decades. However, professionals can use student evaluations to their advantage if they "stage a pre-emptive strike"--in other…

In response to the poor achievement, negative attitudes, and anxiety of limited-English-proficient (LEP) ninth-grade students (n=90) in science classes, a cooperative learning approach to instruction was adopted. In an effort coordinated with teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), the students were assigned to cooperative…

This publication contains nine articles about the process of doing research by literacy practitioners and volunteers in several areas of the Ontario (Canada) literacy field. "Implementing a Workplace Program: A Look Back" (Maria Ioannou-Makrakis) describes the process followed and the learning outcomes from planning, implementing, and…

This report describes the development and testing of two measures of job-related social behavior of adolescents and young adults, ages 14-21, with behavior disorders (BD). Following an introduction of the concept of job-related social behavior, detailed descriptive information and data are provided on development and field testing of the…

Oregon's Educational Act for the 21st Century is a remarkably comprehensive and systematic approach to school reform. Relying on a broad partnership of business leaders, parents, teachers, and educational professionals, it calls for a shift in public attitudes, a focus on outcome-based evaluations, and efforts to ensure its compatibility with…

The essential elements of personnel management are outlined. Personnel management may be called by various names and may be practiced by various levels of management, but in any case it is one of the most important elements of a management position. While sample forms generally relate to Texas community colleges and libraries, the guide is written…

This workbook was prepared in order to assist public school officials in the development of appropriate procedures for the selection of educational resources, handling of complaints, and reevaluation of such material. The workbook was developed by borrowing and adapting language from selection policies from a variety of sources. Introductory…

Multicultural education is an approach to teaching and learning that seeks to empower individuals so that they may function in a diverse, global society. To prepare students for the 21st century, however, community colleges must expand traditional definitions of diversity to include age, religion, culture, sexual orientation, physical or mental…

Recent efforts to improve education have led to a new look at assessment. As pedagogy has changed to focus on learner-centered education, the need to make assessment an integral, on-going part of instruction has become obvious. Concurrently, federal initiatives to promote educational reform have required the provision of career development…

Research on metacognition and literacy development in children and adults that was conducted during the past 15 years was reviewed to determine how metacognition can be applied to instructional approaches for adult literacy and how assessment methods may need to be modified if metacognition is to be applied successfully. Among the key findings of…

A national survey examined the following: the extent of math-related activities in adult literacy programs, staff training in math, assessment frameworks being used, and the use of computers for teaching math. Of the 605 programs that received the questionnaire, 350 (57.9%) completed questionnaires. The 350 programs served more than 750,000 adult…

This paper discusses the use of focus groups to investigate criteria used by college students to determine their satisfaction with higher education, and presents the results of a pilot study. It reviews research on the use of focus groups, discusses the development of a focus group guide for the current study, and examines problems associated with…