The standards-based reform movement has resulted in the wide-spread use of summative assessments designed to measure students' performance at specific points in time. While many have hoped that these end-of-year tests would provide constructional useful information for educators, they do not. This is not because there is something…

In this era of accountability, schools are challenged to leave no child behind, which includes making schools more responsive to students' needs. For many multicultural learners, the noble ideal of leaving no child behind has not yielded the desired dividends in general and special education. The processes of identification, assessment,…

In this article, the author discusses a rehearsal technique that would teach the content outlined in the National Standards for Arts Education and improve performance at the same time. A major component of this rehearsal technique needs to be increasing students' listening and analytical skills, and one way to do that is to ask questions…

Focus-on-form English teaching methods are designed to facilitate second-language learners' noticing of target language input, where "noticing" is an acquisitional prerequisite for the comprehension, processing, and eventual integration of new grammatical knowledge. While primarily designed for teaching hearing second-language learners, many…

Most colleges and universities have implemented an assessment program of some kind in an effort to respond to calls for accountability from stakeholders as well as to continuously improve student learning on their campuses. While institutions administer assessment instruments to students and receive reports, many campuses do not reap the maximum…

The effort to leave no child behind is a major threat to high-ability students, whose cognitive and affective needs are increasingly falling by the wayside from default, according to gifted education advocates. They argue that the No Child Left Behind Act, with its unprecedented, high-stakes focus on students performing below grade level, leaves…

In an attempt to ensure students had a positive experience in their first semester, and to encourage future effective use of tutors' feedback comments, a post-1992 university used a module in the school of education to develop an innovative feedback process. The process involved four stages: a first submission of written work, written feedback on…

A 2002 U.S. Department of Education report concludes that only "24 percent of 12th graders perform at or above the proficient level of writing." Because of this perceived underperformance of students, secondary school educators need to establish writing centers to improve students' performance and attitudes. Writing centers offer many benefits:…

"Real Leaders, Real Schools" tells the stories of five urban public school principals who led their schools through profound and transformative changes. In each of these cases, their efforts resulted in dramatic improvements in student achievement--improvements that occurred within the current environment of high-stakes tests. The revealing and…

This document was developed to provide action steps that can be taken by teachers, parents, administrators, and students themselves to develop the personal, cognitive, and social dimensions of students. These advocates are identified in "The Holistic Learner Framework: A Culturally Responsive Approach to Accelerating the Achievement of Low…

Despite the growing interest in 1:1 computing initiatives, relatively little empirical research has focused on the outcomes of these investments. The current special edition of the Journal of Technology and Assessment presents four empirical studies of K-12 1:1 computing programs and one review of key themes in the conversation about 1:1 computing…

Hispanic-Serving Institutions have the opportunity to be trendsetters in higher education. As Latino representation in higher education continues to increase across all states and institution types, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)--public or private nonprofit degree-granting colleges with enrollments of 25 percent or more Hispanic…

An online homework system created for use by beginning calculus students is described. This system was designed with the specific goal of supporting student engagement outside of class by replicating the attempt-feedback-reattempt sequence of events which often occurs in a teacher's presence. Evidence is presented which indicates that this goal…

A good literacy action plan is essential to a successful schoolwide literacy initiative. Schools that are making progress in improving students' reading and writing scores have a data-based plan in place that includes intensive interventions for struggling readers and expectations for content-area literacy support. Other features of a good plan…

Why is it that some schools are more successful that others in improving achievement in literacy and numeracy for those pupils who have barriers to their learning? What is it that makes the difference for the lowest achieving 20% of pupils? Her Majesty's Inspectors visited a number of schools that were making a significant difference for…