Relates one kindergarten teacher's experiences while participating in a research project on the incorporation of portfolio assessments into student progress reports to parents. (BB)

Describes a genre-based approach to content writing instruction used in a fifth-grade social studies class in which the majority of the students came from English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) backgrounds. A unit on explorers and exploration used narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository writing assignments to improve the students'…

In case studies of four nine-year-old Hungarian children with high intellectual potential, this study analyzed the sociocultural, environmental, and family-connected factors and the motivational and personality traits responsible for the decrease of intellectual potential in some children. (SW)

Discusses specific instruments and procedures that university-level foreign languages and literatures departments can use in outcomes-assessment of their undergraduate majors, including standardized tests, oral assessments, questionnaires, and portfolios. Case studies of outcomes-assessment programs in language departments at the University of…

Using a recent incident at the University of Illinois as a case study, this article demonstrates that requiring student religious organizations to comply with state university policies against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation violates the free exercise rights of the groups' members as those rights are codified in the Religious…

An annotated list cites reports, books, and other resources for institutional research into campus diversity. It includes studies undertaken by individual institutions, often including assessment instruments, organizational resources, books and articles, and electronic mail lists. (MSE)

Analyzes the academic records of 191 nonnative students who took a writing examination in 1991 to assess their performance on the writing examination of Georgia State University. Results indicate that questions remain about the relationship between English proficiency and academic preparation and about responsibilities for academically weak…

This case study examines the learning tasks associated with undergraduates' use of a computer graphics presentation package at The Queen's University (Belfast, Ireland). Results of a summative evaluation are discussed, including the role of the lecturer, learning resources, and group participation; and prior knowledge is considered. (LRW)

Two essays examine the number aspect of mathematics learning for three- to five-year olds. The first contextualizes the research and reviews its progress, focusing on how children learn in contexts where numbers occur incidentally, and on developing appropriate ways of challenging children to solve problems. The second essay presents a case study…

Observations of second- and third-grade teachers who participated in a staff development program illustrate teachers' difficulties with getting low achievers to focus on and understand the process of being strategic and with using literacy tasks to teach strategy. (BB)

Examined the relationship between a teacher's understanding, and six bilingual, Mexican-American third graders' understanding, of modified cloze reading lessons that were taught during an academic year. Students were able to use context clues and describe what the modified cloze procedure involved. However, students rarely understood the purpose…

In-depth, structured interviews were conducted over a two-year period with four young adults (previously identified as learning disabled) who had dropped out of high school. Their stories cast doubt on the idea that dropouts are necessarily "failures" but suggest serious shortcomings in the secondary education programing and the transition…

Describes an evaluation of two video modules developed at the University of Plymouth (United Kingdom) to interest and motivate students in learning mathematics. Videos to teach the concepts of motion and of momentum and collisions are described; students' and teachers' attitudes are discussed; and evaluations of revised versions are reported.…

Identifies issues that need to be addressed in developing effective teacher induction and mentor programs, including providing beginning teachers with reduced teaching loads, multiple opportunities to teach the same content, support from peers and experienced colleagues, and formative evaluation that differs from the summative evaluation of…

Presents real life vignettes of a fifth grade teacher teaching mathematics. The teacher intended her students to find mathematics engaging, work cooperatively, and solve problems that relate to real life experiences. Noted a questionable focus and outcome for the teaching activities. (BB)