Develops a framework for promoting effective coaching, in the sense of encouraging children's achievement, in community settings for children of different ages. Effective coaches perform the following tasks: (1) teach; (2) assess performance; (3) structure the learning environment; and (4) provide social support. (SLD)

Focusing on educational measurement that suggests an action and has an outcome, 16 problem areas are defined and grouped into the following classes: (1) validity; (2) issues of statistical adjustment; (3) data insufficiencies; (4) other issues related to standardized testing and constructed responses; and (5) technical issues of psychometrics.…

Reviews theoretical developments in science education and integrates them into a humanistic constructivist model of science learning. Applies this model to the new English national science curriculum. Explains the changing focus in science curriculum and pedagogy. Discusses theories of science learning in relation to the Education Reform Act…

Results from the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program for 5,392 elementary school students and from the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (multiple choice) for a national sample are used to explore local item independence (LID) of test items. Some strategies are suggested for measuring LID in performance assessments. (SLD)

Examines recent research considering the effects of art experience on academic achievement. Discovers the most cogent research concerns the intentional use of the arts to increase reading and writing. Proposes three new ways of considering the efficacy of art education: arts-based outcomes, arts-related outcomes, and ancillary outcomes of art…

This article examines Swedish efforts to evaluate foreign-language achievement in compulsory (elementary and early secondary) schools. Evaluations conducted in 1989 and 1992 found that goal achievement in English-as-a-Second-Language instruction is largely in line with prescribed curriculum objectives. Contains 27 references. (MDM)

Precedents from litigation on state graduation assessments provide insight into the potential legal arguments challengers may raise with regard to mandated content and performance standards for all students. Clearly documented, fairly administered procedures that adhere to professional recommendations will be the hallmark of defensible standards.…

Discussion of distance education in higher education focuses on guidelines and standards developed by the American Federation of Teachers. Highlights include faculty role; course design; student role; personal interaction via electronic communication; class size; course content; subject offerings; information literacy, both electronic and print;…

This article focuses on the status of the learning disabilities field, including the accomplishments as well as elements of the unfinished agenda that are needed to move the field forward. Drawing on contributions of influential special educators, it discusses how these foundations provide a basis for future developments in the field. (Contains…

Outdoor residential programs offer benefits related to personal development--particularly in terms of group and independent living skills, coping with new experiences and surroundings, and encouraging participants to get along with each other--that are unique and justify the cost. Further documentation of these benefits is necessary to ensure the…

Twenty parents/caregivers and 11 professional practitioners reported their perceptions of assessment practices for American-Indian/Alaska-Native children in early intervention programs. Perceptions of ecological validity, treatment validity, and social validity are interpreted in terms of the gap between current and "best" practices.…

A study investigated use of various test accommodations for 3,025 third-graders, 2,990 seventh-graders, and 796 eleventh-graders with disabilities in Missouri. Three accommodations (extended time, small-group administration, and read-aloud) accounted for nearly all of the students using an accommodation. Students using one accommodation were…

The annual report on the state of education notes that after the shock of September 11, came a renewed sense of patriotism among young people. Charts and graphs display test results of the civic knowledge of U.S. 9th graders, scores from 4th-grade reading tests, 4th-, 8th-, and 12th grade math tests, and SAT scores Other items include…

As the Human Genome Project experiences remarkable success and a flood of biological data is produced, bioinformatics becomes a very "hot" cross-disciplinary field, yet experienced bioinformaticians are urgently needed worldwide. This paper summarises the rapid development of bioinformatics education in China, especially related…

As policymakers and education leaders around the country make plans to meet the ambitious goals in the federal No Child Left Behind Act, they would be well advised to take a close look at the distribution of teacher talent. In fact, the act requires exactly that. State and local education leaders must now publicly report data on the number of poor…