State-mandated assessment of student outcomes has emerged as a new feature in the higher education landscape. Many states have linked an institution's response to eligibility for incentive funds or other tangible rewards. The actual effects of these initiatives were studied in five states: Colorado, Missouri, New Jersey, South Dakota, and…

Forty-nine state superintendents of public instruction responded to the sixth biannual assessment of U.S. gifted/talented education programs. The questionnaire addressed the following topics: certification requirements for teachers, state funding, impact of tax limitation measures, state guidelines for gifted/talented programs, student selection…

Discusses the gap between the perspectives and practices of (1) teachers in classrooms where writing and reading are being learned and put to good use and (2) those who test students' language competence. Considers ways to narrow this gap, including the notion of teachers acting as tester-researchers. (JD)

Examines research conducted at the British Open University using the research paradigm of phenomenography to discover what students understand about particular concepts in social science. The use of student interviews for formative and summative evaluation is described, and changes in course materials based on the results are discussed.…

Describes a study done by Herbert White that resulted in rankings of library and information science programs based on perceptual assessments by faculty and library directors. Problems with this methodology are discussed, and further findings based on extensive interviews with subjects of the White study are reported. (CLB)

Discusses the status of the testing of computational estimation. Suggests ideas to promote needed immediate actions and examines issues related to effective assessment of computational estimation. (PK)

Identifies a number of factors considered by community college deans of vocational education to be vital in any determination of program success. Posits these critical factors (e.g., enrollment data, placement factors, student performance, student and employer satisfaction) within an institutional report card format appropriate for distribution to…

Delineates and describes four types of questions which may help teachers learn more about student understanding, namely, silent questions, oral questions, written questions, and students' questions. (PK)

Discusses the problems of lecturers and students in a college course. Describes a staff-student liason committee. Gives examples of lecture evaluation instruments. Analyzes the effectiveness of the staff-student liaison groups and emphasizes the value of communication. (CW)

Swedish reform in higher education during 1950-1980 is presented in a time-line perspective. Different stages are discussed in relation to a technical, bureaucratic and social model of educational planning. An evaluation approach with a life-line methodology is presented as well as some results. (Author/LMO)

A national study of assessment in American undergraduate education by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching concludes that the current debate over assessment does not adequately consider educational goals and reflects divisiveness within and between faculties. (MSE)

The strategies used by a university's new dean of continuing education to sensitize the institution to adult learning and adult students and to alert the community to the program are described. (MSE)

The thrust of most state initiatives is to encourage higher education institutions to undertake their own local assessment. Two kinds of state-wide testing are emerging: (1) basic skills assessment of entering students for access, placement, and remediation, and (2) testing to improve the curriculum. (MLW)

Discusses and compares advantages and disadvantages of large and small computer-based instructional systems. Predicted and actual costs in two systems--PLATO, which uses a mainframe system, and VITAL, a microcomputer-based system--are analyzed, and cost comparisons are made based on class size. (LRW)

Provides an overview of the objectives of Virginia's Science Education Program Assessment Model (SEPAM). Describes the kinds of data collected in the program, how the data are analyzed, and how the data can be used in implementing components of an effective support system for science education. (ML)