The New Standards Project conducted a pilot test of a series of performance-based assessment tasks in mathematics and English language arts at Grades 4 and 8 in the spring of 1993. This paper reports the results of a series of generalizability analyses conducted for a subset of the 1993 pilot study data in mathematics. Generalizability analyses…

Traditional assessments in university courses led students to seek goals that current research reports as unacceptable since success had been based on knowledge acquisition rather than performance or ability to use this information in authentic situations. Assessment must require the performance of exemplary tasks. The purpose of this project was…

This book considers the complex subject of language development and instruction for learners with special needs. The primary purpose of the book is to examine language and its components and to suggest instructional strategies for conquering language difficulties. Some special features of the book are strong core chapters which cover key…

This document brings together six papers on language skills and language arts teaching of gifted students. "The State of the Art Issues in Language Study for High Ability Learners: Thinking about Language with Gifted Children" (Michael Clay Thompson) considers two areas traditionally included in discussions of language study--grammar and…

Students in a language arts methods class work in learning teams in literature circles. They read novels, keep journals, and use a variety of strategies in exploring the novels and relating the authors' work and ideas to their own lives. Occasionally, the group is asked to develop questions which they would like to ask the author. Invariably,…

A year-long interpretive case study was conducted to examine a second grade teacher's beliefs and practices concerning classroom management during whole language instruction. The study was designed to determine whether the teacher's beliefs concerning classroom management matched those discussed in the early childhood literature and also whether…

This document contains 19 lesson plans that can be used for career awareness activities in third grade. The lessons were developed by teachers and submitted as part of the Florida Blueprint for Career Preparation. The lesson plans include a topic, materials and information needed, and directions for activities. Lesson plans are designated by…

This document contains 13 lesson plans that can be used for career awareness activities in fourth grade. The lessons were developed by teachers and submitted as part of the Florida Blueprint for Career Preparation. The lesson plans include a topic, materials and information needed, and directions for activities. Lesson plans are designated by…

In this collection, English language arts teachers describe methods they use to increase their students' interest in and appreciation of writing. The book focuses on the benefits of using portfolios in assessing student writing and incorporation of the revision process into writing. The 16 essays drawn from the elementary, secondary, and, college…

Intended for teachers of grades K-2, this book aims to inspire students with the award-winning art and stories found in Caldecott books. The book uses Caldecott winners as springboards to provide lively, literature-based learning experiences--from projects that encourage children's own artistic expression to fun and creative activities that…

This paper examines the mindset of educators regarding reading instruction and attempts to raise consciousness as to how reading can be better taught in United States schools. It calls for the need to go beyond the status quo and to allow for an honest, critical evaluation of the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of current instructional…

A teacher who had directed a K-12 language arts program at the Alamo Navajo Reservation in Magdalena, New Mexico employed problem-solving skills that involved the affective domain as well as the sensory-motor areas important to education even in older children. This teacher's classrooms are heterogeneously grouped. A thematic approach is used…

This 3-year study examined how primary grade teachers and their teacher assistants taught reading and the language arts to a boy with multiple disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Qualitative research strategies are used to describe and explain the boy's participation in literacy activities from kindergarten through second grade. Findings are…

Intended to encourage teachers and students to take a fresh look at children's literature, this practical collection of ideas offers plot summaries and suggests teaching strategies for 57 notable children's books. Books in the collection were chosen "outstanding trade books" by a National Council of Teachers of English committee on trade…

The present national educational reform movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to integrate innovative policy options and technical knowledge with concerns about equity and fairness. Philosophically, most Americans subscribe to the idea of fairness in education, but pragmatically the concept of fairness has eluded American schools for some…