In a discussion of the needs of English-as-a-Second-Language learners, it is suggested that the best approach to identifying needs is at the local level. Specific suggestions are made for classroom teachers, drawing on research techniques in second language learning and English for special purposes. Teachers are told to: (1) expect some mismatch…

Statewide assessment programs in mathematics that have led the way in the development and implementation of new alternative forms of assessment are described and compared. Assessments reviewed are: (1) the Massachusetts Educational Assessment Program (MEAP); (2) the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA); (3) Vermont's Mathematics Portfolio Assessment…

A consortium effort sponsored by the Northwest Regional Evaluation Association has arrived at a workable definition of a portfolio that takes into account the viewpoints of teachers and those interested in large-scale assessment. The modified definition states that: "A student portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that tells…

This guide was developed to provide school district, area vocational-technical school, and postsecondary administrators in Pennsylvania with guidance for managing an accountability system for their vocational education programs. Although drafted primarily to assist agencies in meeting the intent of the Carl D. Perkins legislation, the model…

A study of distance teaching of modern languages in institutions around the world is reported. An introductory section provides an overview of the status and role of distance education in modern language learning, including an examination of related linguistic and educational theory, the objectives of distance language instruction, the behaviorist…

Divided into three parts, this report examines the educational system in the Netherlands in a study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Part 1, the Examiners' Report, describes and discusses the Dutch education system, raises issues, and identifies policy options in seven chapters: (1) introduction; (2)…

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…

This report provides updated information on major national activities related to the development and assessment of educational outcomes of students with disabilities who are receiving special education services. The report reviews major initiatives in the areas of the national education goals (Goals 2000), standards, and national testing. The…

This paper provides an analysis of inclusion as it relates to national goals, national standards, and national tests for students with disabilities. Concerning the six national education goals specified in Goals 2000, the paper finds that the primary data collection programs used to document progress toward the goals exclude 40 to 50 percent of…

This paper, written from a British perspective, looks at "new" methods of learning that are transforming higher education teaching and learning and at some issues in quality control that arise from these rapid changes. The author notes that in the past new methods have often mistakenly been hailed as the panacea of current educational problems but…

Higher education is currently undergoing an era of low public confidence, waning commitment, and limited resources. For community colleges operating in this general context, several pressing issues can be identified. One is the need for colleges to agree on their institutional missions and priorities, determining to what extent developmental,…

Community colleges concentrate on the neglected first two years of college; raise educational levels of underprepared students; educates and trains students to be qualified, skilled workers; and re-educates those whose skills are outdated; and those who have college degrees but no work skills. Drawing from interviews with community college…

As one of several efforts to address the low retention rates of beginning teachers in California schools, the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Project (BTSA) is providing support for new teachers along with a component that assesses their classroom competencies. The assessment component and planned evaluation studies are described. BTSA…

In the initial article by Edward Roeber, performance assessment is defined as an exercise in which the student demonstrates specific skills and competencies rather than selecting one of several predetermined answers to an exercise. Such as assessment contains four components: (1) a reason for the assessment; (2) a particular peformance to be…

This article documents the development of an instrument that would allow researchers and clinicians to assess the ways in which students differ qualitatively with respect to how they cope with the demands of evaluative situations. The Academic Anxiety Coping Scale identifies modal types of coping cognitions and behaviors that students employ…