Good assessment is part of all good learning communities, and this article provides a useful set of best practices for learning community assessment planning: (1) articulating agreed-upon learning community program goals; (2) identifying the purpose of assessment (e.g., summative or formative); (3) employing qualitative and quantitative assessment…

New Teacher Evaluation and Support Systems were fully implemented in every public school during the 2012-13 school year. Rhode Island educators have had a significant voice in revising the Student Learning Objective (SLO) process for the 2013-14 school year. Through surveys, focus groups, working groups, principal shadows, regional meetings, and…

This book, written by authors representing 12 countries and five continents, is a collection of international perspectives on distance learning and distance learning implementations in higher education. The perspectives are presented in the form of practical case studies of distance learning implementations, research studies on teaching and…

The Indicators of Quality Schools instrument is designed to be used in school self-studies to identify priority areas for improvement or closer study. Uses for the instrument are outlined in this user's guide. Emphasis is placed on ensuring that the staff is oriented to evaluating school practices. The instrument may be completed by small groups…

This teacher orientation manual has been developed as a comprehensive resource for teachers in Texas to facilitate a greater knowledge and understanding of the Texas Teacher Appraisal System (TTAS), designed as a developmental tool for the improvement of instruction, and the encouragement of professional growth. Through this system, teachers…

Helping students take active responsibility for their education may depend on how well educators link their classroom goals with the goals students hold for themselves. Goals are not fixed, but change as individuals change. Helping students revise their goals and improve their control of behavior are valid educational goals. Most institutions…

The article describes how to do an initial evaluation, establish rapport, set realistic goals, and establish an orientation training program with low-functioning deaf blind children. (PHR)

An inservice training program was designed to assist early interventionists in assessing family needs and setting family goals for Individualized Family Service Plans required for handicapped infants. The training increased interventionists' use of family assessment tools and increased the proportion of family goals written as part of a…

This study presents an analysis of a previous evaluation conducted by the Malawi (East Africa) government of the usefulness of long-term, off-shore (mostly in the United States) graduate education and results of a recent survey comparing career attitudes of participants and non-participants in a pre-departure orientation program. Following a…

The brief paper summarizes the 1983 report, "Social Integration of Moderately Handicapped Students through Cooperative Goal Structuring: Influence of Teacher Instruction on Cooperation" by JoAnne Putnam. Techniques for constructing group learning activities using cooperative goal structuring are broken down into the following steps: (1)…

During the 1986-87 school year, the state of Texas implemented the Texas Teacher Appraisal System (TTAS), a comprehensive and generic system for improving instruction. This teacher orientation manual has been developed to increase teachers' knowledge of this new appraisal system. The first section provides an overview of the TTAS, including its…

Nineteen special educators implemented Curriculum-Based Measurement with a total of 36 learning-disabled math pupils in grades 2-8 to examine the effects of goal line feedback. Results indicated comparable levels and slopes of student performance across treatment conditions, although goal line feedback was associated with greater performance…

This digest summarizes what is known about developing desired educational outcomes and anticipated time frames in specialized programs for students who are gifted. Learner outcomes are defined and characteristics of appropriate ones outlined. Next, the importance of identifying specific learner goals and outcome indicators is explained with…

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…

This document provides a resource and problem-solving guide for vocational rehabilitation counselors serving people with brain injuries acquired through trauma or other circumstances. An introduction defines acquired brain injury, characterizes the uniqueness of people with acquired brain injury, and describes community resources. Chapter 2,…