Maintains that teacher-based assessment can be a powerful tool. Defines "informed" assessment, describes its features, and discusses conditions that must occur if teacher-based assessment is to reach its full potential. Discusses strategies that help teachers make day-to-day assessment more meaningful and credible. (SR)

Colleges and universities typically record student achievement through a system of number and grades. This system of documenting student learning is based on the assumption that students progressively carry with them and build on their learning as they advance through courses. However, learning is more than an aggregation of courses and credits.…

Maintains that continued over reliance on traditional skills-based assessment of reading abilities provides the whole-language teacher with little, if any, useful information for instructional planning. Suggests informal assessment procedures that focus on the language learner and provide a rich information source on which to base instructional…

The kinds of questions administrators, teachers, parents, the community, and children ask from under each of their hats makes educators and others aware of the information needs that people have for judging the success of schooling. Each audience, each role, asks slightly different questions, and the information needed to answer those questions is…

Explores the potential of portfolios for science education by examining issues related to purpose, structure, and authenticity. Illustrates portfolio applications in student assessment, prospective science teacher education programs, and the assessment of practicing science teachers. (MDH)