An instructor in a junior high school English program which involved teaching approximately 160 eighth graders on a daily basis found it almost impossible to assess students fairly by taking individual differences into account when grading. Her solution was to invite students to participate in the construction, performance, and evaluation of their…

A major problem in assessing off-campus experiential learning is the need to structure the learning process and document the learning outcomes. This report describes the procedure developed by the University of California at Los Angeles, that logically analyzes the learning that is taking place and therefore helps to shape and improve subsequent…

As part of the evaluation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I Migrant Program, this study investigated whether teacher judgment of oral language proficiency could be used as a covariate in analyzing the reading test scores of migrant children, so that their possible lack of English proficiency could be taken into account…

A study determined specific skills and competencies that employers in Tempe, Arizona require in entry-level employees. It identified student-produced performance products applicants can use to signal proficiency in the skills and competencies. A modified Delphi inquiry was used, with 3 rounds of questionnaires over a 5-month period to survey 24…

Examines the function of schooling as constituted in the interactional sequences of routine testing events. Demonstrates that classroom testing represents a critical activity through which the grouping of students is accomplished. Suggests that the differentiation of both homogeneous and heterogeneous school populations is a necessary by-product…

In the second year of a project investigating the ability of secondary school teachers to identify high-ability students, two questions were addressed: what student characteristics influenced teachers' judgments, and why checklists appeared to have little impact on teachers' judgments. A structured approach was developed to study student…

This paper argues for the use of social indicators, in conjunction with the traditional norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests, to assess the effects of local educational systems. A conceptual framework for the study of educational performance is presented, interrelating: (1) personal resources invested by youth; (2) opportunities for…

Methods of assessing children's oral language ability are explored in this paper. Following a discussion of problems involved in the formal assessment of oral language ability, a study is described that revealed that the evaluation of the oral language of 12 kindergarten children in the social context of the natural classroom environment,…

To assist women who aspire to vocational administrative positions but lack the required work experience, a guide was developed to build an administrative competency portfolio for presentation of abilities acquired through unpaid or volunteer experiences and paid work experiences where administrative responsibilities were present but not obvious…

Findings of two studies which examined the identification of prekindergarteners with potential learning problems are presented. The first was a pilot study, in which a short screening device and a parent questionnaire were administered to a large, randomly-selected sample. In the second study, these instruments were validated against extensive…

This document describes the clinical observation activities in a sample of California classrooms as part of the developmental work for Phase III of the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study. The actual observation procedures are documented, and the conclusions reached on the basis of those observations are presented. Conclusions related to timebased…

The validity of a screening process for the early identification of gifted and educable mentally retarded children was examined. The process was originally developed by Lambert and Bower, for the identification of learning handicaps. Twenty-five kindergarten and first grade classrooms were studied. The information collected included the teacher,…

Conducted to define in detail the ingredients contributing to an effective classroom assessment environment, this study explored the assessment methods actually used by classroom teachers through case study observations and teacher journals. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the report. Chapter 2 presents the findings of a review of the literature…

This study was undertaken to describe ways in which "performance oriented" teachers in Maryland communicate learning targets, elements of quality, and standards for performance to their students. Surveys were distributed to approximately 90 participants at the annual meeting of the Maryland Assessment Consortium and to 72 scoring team…

The College of Education and Human Services at Wright State University (Ohio) has been working since 1987 to develop and refine a portfolio assessment approach for use with candidates preparing for teaching as a profession. This paper documented efforts in authentic assessment as they related to PRAXIS III/Pathwise Assessment, which has been…