Presents as an alternative to the traditional Spanish textbook a modular approach that consists of activities based on essay reading and grammar exercises. Students liked this form of instruction, and most indicated that they had learned material previously unknown to them. (seven references) (Author/CK)

A study of five state colleges and universities investigated the design and impact of administrator evaluation programs. Effects on individual administrators' performance and on organizational performance, as well as positive and negative program characteristics, are examined. (MSE)

Examines the current status of freshman writing as a vehicle for bibliographic instruction based on a survey of four-year colleges. Perceptions of bibliographic instruction librarians are discussed; instruction methods used are described; and implications for further research are suggested. (22 references) (LRW)

In preservice teacher education programs, writing competence as an admission or exit requirement is essential because teachers communicate with multiple audiences, they are role models, and they must be lifelong learners. The article describes the background and rationale for a holistically scored writing examination in a teacher education…

Physical educators can enhance students' motivation to learn by collecting portfolios of items that reflect students' skills, understandings, social behaviors, and values. The article explains characteristics of portfolio assessment, discussing how to develop and evaluate portfolios. Brief descriptions of methods and portfolio items, illustrated…

Emphasis on competency-based teaching and outcomes oversimplifies teaching and learning. Reducing a complex and highly political process such as dialog to a series of orderly steps falsely presents the classroom as predictable and implies that success lies in efficient delivery techniques without regard for context. (SK)

Sketches the history of the Pacesetter initiative to reform high school English curricula. Discusses the pros and cons of the Pacesetter agenda, including its assessment instruments. (HB)

Identifies current trends in the automation of indexing, of information retrieval, and of interaction between the system and the users. Topics discussed include location, navigation, and indexing; digital libraries; matching documents to queries; weight of concepts; query structure, including fuzzy sets; algorithms; stemming; clustering; users'…

Describes three approaches teachers can use to help students understand the computation of numbers: calculator explorations, problem solving, and discussion topics. Specific examples are provided for primary and upper grades. (MDM)

Discusses the role of concrete materials in teaching for understanding, including research on the use of concrete materials, seeing mathematical ideas embodied in them, and identifying what teachers want students to understand. (Contains 16 references.) (MKR)

Reports on a study of the use of musical scores and rating scales by 80 pianists who listened to 21 trials of solo piano music. Found that the use of musical scores and rating scales did not improve interrater reliability. Discovered that the subjects were less consistent when evaluating slow musical pieces than faster pieces. (CFR)

This editorial proposes that the dependent variables that predict childhood intelligence quotient (IQ) from habituation and recognition memory assessments made during infancy may primarily reflect individual differences in rate of information processing. Inhibition may be a stable thread in mental development. (Author/SLD)

Discusses a study on how Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) approached intervening with criminal youth to halt or reduce their criminal activities before these activities become entrenched. This approach emphasizes quick case turnaround and harsh sanctions for youths who are serious habitual offenders. (GLR)

Describes the way one English teacher used teacher research in her classroom to study writing, literature, her students, and herself. Explains her activities and some of her findings. Advocates teacher research as a natural activity that teachers, either consciously or unconsciously, engage in every day of their professional lives. (HB)

Argues that English teachers must rediscover and subsequently utilize an interdisciplinary approach to reform the schools. Explores two implications for interdisciplinary study growing from a holistic, process-centered approach to English studies. Suggests that English should become the leader in an interdisciplinary future. (HB)