Different meanings of portfolio assessment are reviewed, and potential applications to program evaluation are explored. At present, portfolio assessments are not recommended as the primary source of evidence about the attainment of program goals in evaluations that compare curricula or programs because of the lack of validity and reliability…

Some unfinished issues relating to achievement test theory that seemed implicit in the basic idea of criterion-referenced testing are reviewed, recognizing their importance in current studies of authentic assessment and performance-based tests. The future of performance-based evaluation is explored. (SLD)

Comparative effectiveness of two instructional methods, one based on situated cognition and the other a traditional classroom-based presentation, were studied with 49 4th graders being instructed in map skills. Advantages of the situated cognition approach are demonstrated. (SLD)

Differences in the Texas Teacher Appraisal System scores of teacher subgroups over 2 years were examined for 2,366 teachers for scores on individual domains, sums of scores of the 1st 4 domains, and overall summary performance scores, as well as appraiser differences. Implications for teacher evaluation are discussed. (SLD)

Whether adequate levels of interrater reliability could be obtained on a national, standardized examination using one examiner per observation was studied with 101 paired candidate observations on an examination for optometry. Results indicate that psychometrically sound judgments can be obtained with one examiner. (SLD)

This article attempts to outline the issues and to describe the process of developing a metaevaluation framework for assessing the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the performance-assessment instruments being created by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The metaevaluation framework consists of a set of evaluation…

A teacher relates how Foxfire and authentic assessment have changed her view of teaching, learning, and the nature of classwork itself. Proposes that conventional education not only supports belief in a large competence gap between students and teachers, but also perpetuates misconceptions concerning the nature of knowledge, self-worth, and…

Asserts that evaluating cooperative learning experiences is both traditional in the tools used and innovative in the way the results benefit students and teachers. Provides suggestions for encouraging interdependence, grading group projects, and evaluating both academic achievement and group process skills. (CFR)

Describes seven primary grade teachers' uses of portfolios to illustrate students' literacy learning, and discusses these teachers' perceptions of the challenges and benefits of portfolio use. Suggests that while portfolio assessment occurs at the classroom level, only when the wider environment supports and is synchronized with the efforts of…

Portfolios are the centerpiece of Vermont's statewide assessment program in mathematics. Portfolio scores in the first two years were not reliable enough to permit the reporting of student-level results, but increasing the number of readers or the number of portfolio pieces is not operationally feasible. (SLD)

Five articles in this special issue present the approaches to accountability found in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland, provinces that represent 85% of all Canadian elementary and secondary school students. The articles are then discussed by representatives of four national Canadian educational associations. (SLD)

This article urges educators of the gifted and talented to become knowledgeable about educational reform efforts at the local, state, and national levels. Specific initiatives pertinent to gifted education include ungraded primary schools; performance-based assessment of student progress; use of student portfolios; and rigorous, revamped…

Based on a review of literature on social work field learning and analysis of current data on student performance criteria, eight learning objectives for field study were identified. The objectives reflect traditional concepts and contemporary demands on the profession. A student field performance evaluation method using the objectives is…

Describes a performance-based assessment approach utilizing science activities and questions to assess different levels of thinking. Objectives, materials, and procedures are provided for the assessment of student skills in classification, observation and inference, interpretation, and analysis. (PR)

A proposed model for the validity of measures of professional competence treats validation as the evaluation of inferences drawn from test scores, focusing on evaluation, generalization, and extrapolation. The model is used to indicate strengths and weaknesses of assessments of professional competence: observations of performance, simulations, and…