Practices in needs assessment are reviewed since 1981, the year the federal government changed the role it plays in promoting needs assessment in the public sector. The review is based on reports published to 1993 and indicates that needs assessment is flourishing in a variety of settings. (SLD)

Describes an activity in which students examine hypothetical exposure to toxins by being showered by different colored pieces of confetti over several visits to exposure sites. Students record quantities of confetti that stick to packing tape. Colors correspond to different toxins posing different health problems. Students process their findings…

Describes activities using sensors connected to a computer via a data-logger. Elementary students investigated several scientific questions of sound, light, and temperature sensors including: What is the effect of putting a coat on a snowman? How can you make a hot drink cool down quickly? Do sound, light, and temperature vary in different…

Delineates four elements of successful student-scientist partnerships: (1) use of an inquiry-based approach; (2) employment of authentic, community-based investigations; (3) student in the role of scientist; and (4) student in the role educator. Contains 17 references. (DDR)

Describes the Earth Day-Forest Watch Program which introduces kindergarten through high school level students to field laboratory and satellite-data analysis methods for assessing the health of Eastern White Pine forest stands. (DDR)

This study developed concordant relationships between American College Testing Program and Scholastic Assessment Test scores for students taking both examinations between October 1994 and December 1996. Fourteen universities and two state education departments participated in the study. Text provides information on data collection, sample…

Describes the California Instructional Technology Clearinghouse and its online, searchable database of more than 2600 recommended software, video, and Internet-based instructional resources. Outlines the review and recommendation process used by the Clearinghouse. Presents reviews of 10 products representative of those in the database. (DSK)

A recent national survey polled public library directors and local government officials concerning the value of public library services and outlook for local tax support of public libraries. This article focuses on procedures used in planning the study sample, and broader issues to be considered in designing a national sample for public libraries.…

This article discusses how speech-language pathologists are in a strategic position to identify the problems, carry out an evaluation of feeding and swallowing skills, and determine the needs for medical team referral. It focuses on guidelines for obtaining a history, physical examinations, and observing a typical meal. (Contains references.)…

Describes River Watch, an award-winning floating river study project that gives students continuous contact with the river environment. (PVD)

Presents a water-quality monitoring project in a Denver school that has evolved into an experiment using a constructed wetland system to treat the acid-mine drainage from an abandoned gold mine. (PVD)

This article proposes that the learning stories model can be used effectively as an assessment method for young New Zealand children with special needs. In this model, early intervention assessment data are collected in natural contexts. A description of experiences in using learning stories is provided. (Contains 13 references.) (CR)

In a collaborative project, two mathematics education professors, a third-grade teacher, and her students collected information from the students as they thought through how to ask, collect, and then answer their own data-driven questions. Findings indicated the students exhibited a growing understanding, sophistication, and comfort with the use…

This article discusses the importance of obtaining developmental history in the screening and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders in children. Steps for obtaining developmental history are described and general guidelines are provided. Instruments for collecting developmental history and diagnostic indicators for autism spectrum disorders are…

Discusses the development of a data analysis activity used with 8th grade students at the beginning of the school year. Groups of students collected a variety of data about a specific population. (DDR)