Portfolios are developmental pictures of students' progress, providing alternative ways to evaluate both products and processes of students' learning. Portfolios also serve as vehicles for involving students in self-evaluation and goal-setting. This sourcebook was written to help teachers begin to use portfolios as an authentic assessment method.…

This volume provides an examination of the theoretical basis for preschool through elementary school multiage grouping, a realistic picture of what it looks like, some guidelines for planning and implementing a multiage model, and recommendations from practicing multiage teachers. Chapter 1 defines multiage grouping and provides a brief history of…

Even though videotape technology has been found to be an effective tool for evaluation of student teachers, this technology is often not used to assess performance in preservice clinical experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of video technology as a tool for reflection in teacher education. In the study, student teachers…

This monograph is designed to provide a blueprint to educators on how to improve academic advising for first-year college students. Seventeen chapters are: (1) "First-Year Students: The Year 2000" (Wesley Habley); (2) "Insights from Theory: Understanding First-Year Student Development" (M. Lee Upcraft); (3) "Creating…

With the education reform movement came dissonance over testing as an indicator of classroom learning. This paper examines both formal and informal assessment and relates one institution's attempt to provide a bridge between authentic and traditional assessment. Authentic assessment is defined as a belief that student evaluation should measure…

Part 1 of this paper inquires into how teachers can use portfolios in professional development; part 2 takes one component, a review of the contents of a portfolio, and puts it into action with practicing teachers and student teachers. Part 1 focuses on a teacher evaluation model that includes working with a peer, while part 2 focuses on the…

The feasibility of using performance indicators to improve the effectiveness of welfare-to-work programs was examined. First, previous and current experience with performance indicators for welfare-to-work and related programs (including the Job Training and Partnership Act and Job Opportunities and Basic Skills programs) was analyzed. Next, the…

The study explores the relative effects of a wide range of variables that influence learning, and whether three methods--content analysis, expert ratings, and meta-analysis--agree on whether and how strongly these variables influence learning, using the educational research literature and an expert survey. The presence of an emergent knowledge…

This guide is designed for local and state authorities who seek a better understanding of the performance of their vocational education programs. Its basic theme is management diagnostics. The first section provides a brief introduction to three decades of research that has been conducted on wage records submitted by employers under unemployment…

One of a series of educational packages designed for implementation either in a workshop atmosphere or through individual study, this Hot Topic guide on writing evaluation presents a variety of materials to assist educators in designing and implementing classroom projects and activities centering on the topic of evaluating writing in the…

This report attempts to establish a link between research findings and practice in the transition of students with disabilities. A taxonomy is presented that provides a framework for designing educational programs that reflect a transition perspective for students with disabilities. Chapter 1, "Preparing Youths with Disabilities for Future…

This manual, in workbook format, introduces the principles of how to conduct an effective employee performance appraisal in the higher education setting. It uses several case studies to illustrate these principles. It is designed to be used for individual study or group workshops and seminars. The topics discussed include establishing a positive…

Providing a case study of instructional organization and evaluation processes in Quebec's "Colleges d'enseignement general et professionnel" (CEGEPs), this report describes the provincial Commission on the Evaluation of Collegiate Teaching and a 1994 evaluation of "Techniques d'education en services de garde" (TESG), or child…

This book guides library administrators through stages of long-range needs assessment, particularly taking what they know about their user community, library services, performance standards, and anticipated resources, and using that knowledge to determine space and building needs. Tips, explanations, and hands-on planning tools come through…

What giftedness really means has been discussed over centuries. This exploration, by a researcher involved in the study of mathematically talented youth, considers that giftedness may take many forms. The construct of general intelligence is probably the most widely studied psychological construct, but it is apparent that the IQ is not an ideal…