Social studies, too frequently, is taught in a survey approach whereby pupils obtain subject matter in a shallow manner. Forgetting and hazy recalls are typical of this procedure of instruction. Covering many topics in a relatively short period of time does not make for achievement which is long-lasting. Then too, selected pupils might be left…

Teachers have a stake in determining the qualifications of evaluators of teacher effectiveness. Teachers are justified in demanding that the evaluators be highly competent and well trained, especially when judgments about a teacher's worth or merit are being made. To the extent that administrators must be confindent that the evaluations on which…

Whatever has happened to using teacher observation as an approach to assess student achievement? Presently, the emphasis is upon state mandated testing to ascertain student progress. Much is written in educational journals about having students achieve No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal and state standards, signed into law in 2002. Much drill is…

This paper discusses the types of readiness that are necessary for learning in science and how to assess them. Subject matter readiness refers to what students bring in terms of facts, concepts, generalizations, and principles to the new science lesson. Evaluating many aspects of student background, such as prior instruction, helps in the…

One constructivist approach to assessing student learning is the use of portfolios. The contents of a portfolio demonstrate what a student knows and can do. The portfolio indicates actual products and processes a student has developed, as exemplified in the description of the contents of a student portfolio in a teaching methods course. Portfolios…

Approaches used to evaluate student progress depend on the educational philosophy involved, because each philosophy determines what learners should learn. Approaches reviewed include (1) the testing movement; (2) self-evaluation by students; (3) idealism and the evaluation process; (4) experimentation and evaluation; and (5) perennialism and…

Principals are increasingly being held accountable for student achievement in the public schools, but there are many questions about how to assess principals' achievement. There are many problems with using the results of standardized testing to assess the achievement of principals. Feedback from teachers appears to be a good way to assess the…

This paper analyzes different approaches to assess learner achievement in the spelling curriculum. The following topics are discussed: assessment of spelling and the basal textbook, using spelling words for mastery based on research, individualized spelling, use of spelling words in context, standardized spelling tests, and the functional approach…

There are many procedures to use in the evaluation of student achievement in reading. Each has its pros and cons. No single approach will be perfect, but with a variety of approaches a teacher may determine how much progress each student has made. Standardized, norm-referenced tests, once so popular, have come into disfavor as reading evaluation…

One of the many ways to assess teaching quality in higher education is student evaluation of the instructor's competence, used in many universities. This approach has both strengths and weaknesses. Its drawbacks include the pressure students may feel to give higher ratings to an instructor or that the assessment usually comes too late in a course…

To determine quality sequence in pupil progress, evaluation approaches need to be used which guide the teacher to assist learners to attain optimally. Teachers must use a variety of procedures to appraise student achievement in reading, because no one approach is adequate. Appraisal approaches might include: (1) observation and subsequent…

Discusses eight reasons why there should be a good children's literature curriculum in the school setting. Suggests 10 guidelines for teachers to assess their achievement in guiding optimal pupil achievement in children's literature. Discusses evaluating pupil progress in children's literature. (SR)

Achieving a fair and objective evaluation of teacher performance is not easy. Student test results have been used to assess teacher performance, but this approach has many weaknesses, especially because students differ from school to school and standardized tests are open to questions about their fairness. Criterion-referenced tests have been…

Diverse procedures need to be used to appraise pupil progress in reading achievement, because it takes different approaches to appraise in a comprehensive manner what pupils have learned in reading. There is much to evaluate, including knowledge acquired, skills developed, and attitudes fostered. Approaches which might be used include: (1)…

Using educational technology in reading instruction is one approach, among others, to assist students to increase reading skills. However, there are several reasons why technology is not increasingly used in the school setting, including lack of administrative support; failure to allocate a technology coordinator to help train teachers and…