This article emphasizes the importance of success criteria as a tool to support students' academic success. Research has consistently shown that strong teacher-student relationships lead to improved academic outcomes, but building strong relationships involves defining their impact on student learning outcomes. Success criteria support personal…

Open education resources (OER) are taking centre-stage in many higher educational institutions globally, driven by the need to raise institutional profiles, improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning and achieve universal access to education. Many academics attracted to the idea of turning teaching materials into OER have, however, found…

Contract grading has achieved some prominence in our field as a practice associated with critical pedagogy. In this context we describe a hybrid grading contract where students earn a course grade of B based not on our evaluation of their writing quality but solely on their completion of the specified activities. The contract lists activities…

This article is inspired by recent observations, events, and publications, as well as by a general and rising concern for and appreciation of the culture of American historical heritage as manifested on college and university campuses. Among the influences and inspirations for this article are Richard P. Dober's (2005) "Campus Heritage"…

"Project Evaluation" was conceived to aid evaluation systems in Massachusetts community colleges by accomplishing three main tasks: (1) determining the current status of evaluation efforts; (2) piloting an appropriate program evaluation system and adapting it to Massachusetts; and (3) developing a uniform placement and follow-up system.…

A procedure for evaluating principals was developed over a period of approximately two years at Wellesley, Massachusetts. First, position descriptions were prepared. Then, several meetings were held with all administrators including department heads. Following these general workshops, eight administrators volunteered for a week's workshop during…

The study committee that compiled this report extensively reviewed articles analyzing research on personnel evaluation in Massachusetts' public schools. The report provides a definition and list of principles of evaluation, committee recommendations, a discussion of evaluation procedures in Massachusetts, examples of illustrative practices,…

Outlines the Massachusetts and Virginia models for adult education courseware evaluation. Suggests ways to improve evaluation through state and regional resource centers and other collaborative efforts. (SK)

The problem dealt with here is that of developing evaluation procedures that will determine, through objective evidence, the merit of a demonstration project that uses an infusion approach to career education in an ongoing school system. The design of this process has emerged from the Occupational Competence Access Project. (Author)

A total educational information system for evaluation of vocational education in Massachusetts is described. Specifically, the evaluation guide describes the evaluation plan, reveals the philosophy of evaluation upon which the design was built, outlines the processes of evaluation called for in the design, introduces the forms for data collection…

The main goal of this research study is to explore the interconnection between museum learning and theatre learning. We will begin this exploratory process by analyzing the functions of role-playing and improvisation as teaching and learning strategies, and we will then expand this analysis to the idea of storytelling as a link between learning in…

This handbook is designed to assist Massachusetts schools in utilizing members of the community, teachers, and administrators in developing a system of evaluation to monitor student progress and measure program effectiveness. Emphasis is placed on the establishment of quality control procedures for alternative learning experiences, such as…

This report briefly describes and evaluates a program designed to provide medical and public health consultation to Project Head Start in Massachusetts. The program consisted of teams of community medical and public health professionals made available to Head Start programs for planning and implementation of health programs, and education and…

A study explored teacher responses to prevailing staff reduction criteria and procedures during a period of widespread layoffs. Questions asked by researchers included: (1) If performance evaluations are used, will teachers seek participation in staff employment and assessment decisions? and (2) Will teachers pressure administrators to apply…

Conference proceedings on evaluation of credentials and degree equivalences of foreign students are presented. The conference was designed to improve evaluations in Massachusetts and to encourage more cooperation and greater consistency. Contributions are as follows: a UNESCO approach by Sanford Jameson; the approach of the National Association of…