This technical report describes the methodology, results, and conclusions of a 1991 survey, which was conducted to determine state efforts to develop systems to assess educational outcomes, states' needs for solutions to technical/implementation problems, existing databases, and efforts of states to design a comprehensive system of indicators in…

The guide presents ratings of computer software, audiotape recordings, videotape recordings, on-line systems, and miscellaneous technology-based materials for teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). First, the forms used for evaluation are presented, and then the programs or materials are listed alphabetically by title. Each listing includes…

This paper reports on a whole-school staff development program, field-tested and developed by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory, Inc. The program called QUILT (Questioning and Understanding To Improve Learning and Thinking) was designed to improve the questioning skills of classroom teachers by helping them individually and with colleagues.…

A concise overview is provided of the history of evaluation, focusing on educational evaluation, followed by some observations on program evaluation in Spain and possible future developments. Evaluation was a new concept in Spain at the end of the Franco era, at a time when its development was beginning to gain momentum in the United States. The…

The study reported here evaluated the usefulness of interactive videodisc technology and materials to teach second languages at the elementary and middle school levels, particularly in a context in which teachers lack expertise in the target language. A 3-year project used videodiscs to teach Spanish, French, and Japanese. The report presents, in…

The evaluation of professional support personnel (PSP)--counselors, school psychologists, nurses, curriculum specialists, library/media specialists, deans, and athletic directors--has received scant attention among researchers, theorists, and practicing administrators. This situation may reflect the inadequate tools for counselor and PSP…

This book describes an intervention framework to help young children (birth to 36 months) who have or are at risk of having a disability, to cope more effectively. The book is written for an interdisciplinary audience including service providers, administrators, researchers, and policymakers. Emphasis is on enhancing the adaptive behavior and…

This study evaluated the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment and prescriptive practices currently used in various states, through a survey of project directors in all 50 states receiving funding under the Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1994. The survey instrument assessed directors'…

This paper provides an overview of a teacher evaluation system designed to improve the education of preservice teachers at Auburn University (Alabama) by promoting self-assessment, reflection, and professional growth. The system uses a portfolio approach which includes a simulation exercise in pedagogical decision making. The portfolio contains…

Guidelines are offered for mental health professionals who work with economically disadvantaged children and adolescents from culturally diverse backgrounds. These guidelines describe useful theoretical constructs, suggest ways to sensitize assessments of minority children, and outline treatment strategies to obtain better clinical results. The…

This digest, based on a full report of the same title, provides an examination of the improvement of college teaching and argues for the central involvement of faculty themselves in collaborative peer review and looks at some central issues and challenges to implementation. Since summative evaluation involved in tenure and promotion decisions…

This paper examines two different delivery methods, video and computer-based instruction (CBI) for instructing preservice teachers in the use of an electronic mail system, FIRNMAIL. Three questions were asked about students who were taught FIRNMAIL through a video presentation and those taught through an interactive, computer-based simulation…

Included in this publication are abstracts of papers presented at a meeting on science teaching. Also included are: an index of authors and the sessions in which they presented papers, a strand index listing sessions that pertain to that strand, and an address list of all the authors. Strands include alternative assessment; approaches to research;…

Assessments are authentic when they have meaning in themselves--when the learning they measure has value beyond the classroom and is meaningful to the learner. Authentic assessments (AAs) address the skills and abilities needed to perform actual tasks. Perhaps the most widely used technique is portfolio assessment. Well-designed AAs demonstrate a…

In developing procedures for evaluating academic administrators which both meet legal requirements and foster professional development, institutions should provide for the participation of faculty and other employees directly affected by the administrator's position; develop clear and complete job descriptions for each administrative position;…