Comments on the discussion by Ginette Delandshere and Anthony Petrosky of the numerical rating of complex performances in the context of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Early Adolescence/English Language Arts assessment. Conceptualizes the discussion in terms of matching information to purpose in testing. (SLD)

Responds to Susan Brookhart's comments on the discussion of assessing complex performances by Delandshere and Petrosky. Notes that the article focused on the meaning and usefulness of scores or ratings in the context of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards assessments. (SLD)

This guide, growing out of the annual evaluation by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) of English Language Arts curriculum documents (K-12), presents exemplary curriculum documents from the years 1986-1989. The guide presents documents which were commended by the NCTE reviewers and which demonstrate substantive, procedural, or…

Offers reviews of resource materials, software, and websites intended to help teachers make sense of integrating technology in the classroom. Presents reviews of five resource books; four instructional software programs that purport to teach phonics; three software programs of interactive literature on CD-ROM; an interactive, multimedia CD-ROM…

Reviews materials from Multiscore, a criterion-referenced testing service which produces tests tailored to particular schools or districts from its item bank of more than 20,000 multiple-choice items. Discusses technical considerations, use of Multiscore in local school districts, and evaluation and conclusions. (SR)

Looks at the dreams, anxieties, confusions, satisfactions, and aspirations of the many worlds of childhood and at the professional materials that can help teachers to reach those worlds. Reviews six resources for professional materials and four resources for instructional materials. (MG)

Recommends four resources (including basal materials) to use when designing reading-language arts curricula for classroom or school districts. (MG)

Describes the teaching approach and materials in "Origins," a book about word origins and how to teach them to elementary students. Notes that this book includes step-by-step activities, a brief history of the English language, relevant poetry examples, and several writing ideas. (MM)

Presents reviews by elementary school classroom teachers of books that have had a significant impact on their teaching and the philosophical underpinning for their actions. Includes reviews of four books on literature, literacy, language arts, whole language, the holistic approach, and assessment. (PRA)

Evaluates materials for classroom instruction or professional development in the language arts. Addresses the effort to create better teaching through thematic inquiry units by reviewing three professional development texts, three instructional kits or multimedia packages, and three magazines for children. Concludes by sharing some general…

Reviews 12 nonfiction books submitted for the Carter G. Woodson Book Award that deal with the experiences of African Americans. Argues that many benefits can be reaped from the use of culturally pluralistic tradebooks in the language arts classroom. (RS)

Offers reviews of 10 professional books that offer valuable information to language arts teachers who are concerned with the linguistic and cultural diversity in their classrooms. (SR)

Offers a review of nine books, presented in the form of an imagined conversation between the authors (leading scholars in the English-language arts today) as they discuss changes in language-arts curriculum, interdisciplinary curriculum, community-building in the classroom, teaching rather than showing films, and literature as a living tradition.…

Reviews a videocassette, two sound filmstrips, and one set of computer courseware; all intended to motivate students to discover and release the stories within them. (ARH)

Discusses the top eight educational software titles of the year plus 35 additional programs. Topics include math/problem solving, language arts, science, social studies, classroom management/teacher tools, creative arts, and new versions of older software. (MVL)