This paper summarizes an ethnographic study conducted in 1989-1990 assessing the effectiveness of the Denver Indian Center's preschool program in preparing Native American children for the transition to public school. The Center, a fully licensed child care facility, serves an intertribal community of approximately 18,200 Native Americans. The…

This study was conducted to analyze the process of learning to teach from the perspective of the student teacher. Issues associated with how student teachers perceive experiences contributing to their learning process form the basis of the analysis. Data referred to come from a larger study conducted over 3 years which explored the perceptions of…

This paper addresses the many uses of the writing portfolio in general education at the college level, particularly in classrooms teaching business communication. It describes what elements could be contained within a portfolio, the role the portfolio can play in the assessment process, and the pedagogical implications of a class that is organized…

The California New Teacher Project (CNTP) has demonstrated that intensive support, continued training, and informative assessments of teachers in their first professional years result in better instruction for students and higher retention rates for teachers. The 37 projects of CNTP were funded on the basis of their plans to implement alternative…

Findings of a study on public school funding and accountability in Hawaii are presented in this report. Following a detailed executive summary, the introduction outlines the state legislative history that mandated the study and describes the study's design. Chapter 2 discusses the different methods used to analyze educational expenditures and…

This document presents key findings about the team evaluation process used in seven workplace basic skills programs in 1993 and 1994. An introduction summarizes the methodology used to develop the case studies and key findings about the team evaluation process. These key findings present the strengths and challenges of using evaluation teams,…

Assessment in early childhood special education should go beyond diagnosis of the child in isolation and include evaluation of the child using an ecological perspective. The ecological perspective assesses interactions of the child with significant people in the environment such as parents and teachers. Three aspects of ecological early childhood…

This volume describes Total Quality Management (TQM) in the higher education classroom and guides college faculty in implementing TQM to improve their teaching. Chapter 1 introduces TQM and gives pointers on how to begin implementing it. Chapter 2 describes TQM approaches and principles including the Deming and Crosby approaches, describes the TQM…

Centers for technology transfer are available almost everywhere based on the availability of interested experts and funding. The objective of this monograph is to introduce the assured system that results in excellence in services and expectations from technology transfer. The focus is on simple techniques of potential interest for community and…

Growing from a 1988 conference on educational technology, the Ocotillo Action/Research Groups of the Maricopa Community Colleges in Tempe (Arizona) have continued to explore ways of enhancing and developing the use of instructional technologies in the community colleges. This report presents the following annual reports of the groups, which…

The suggestions offered in this paper are based on the experiences of two scientific researchers of how evaluations undertaken in a competitive arena, in which true experimental designs are not viable, can be designed in such a way that meaningful comparative data can be examined. Case studies of the Science and Engineering Research Semester and…

This manual describes a self-monitoring program for use in special education classes and residential treatment programs. The procedure can be adapted to fit almost any program already using daily point sheets or can be used to develop a new program. The procedure requires both student and teacher observation of behaviors and rewards students for…

How teachers' judgments about student literacy behavior were analyzed under the Rasch model is described. The analysis was done to assist staff of the Western Australian Department of Education to revise aspects of a literacy program called "First Steps" for the early years of school. First Steps uses a developmental continuum of small…

This paper offers suggestions for using portfolios to assess teacher performance. Key policy decisions that should be addressed prior to preparation of the portfolios include purpose, domains, audience, administrative matters, technical issues, and legal issues. After these policy decisions have been made, guidelines for portfolio design--its…

This manual was developed as part of a project to identify and serve the needs of gifted and talented economically disadvantaged elementary and secondary level populations. Section I presents a leader's manual for a workshop that discusses innovative procedures for identifying bright children in all cultures and populations. The workshop examines…