This study investigated the Individual Learning Plans of eighty-eight students who were deaf and hard of hearing attending facilities and schools for the deaf in Victoria Australia. The students' assessment and planning portfolios were scrutinised for evidence of formal and informal assessment used to generate goals for the Individual Learning…

Semester assessment of college wind band members is an issue that conductors would probably agree falls within their academic freedom. Institutions may award as little as no credit or even a percentage of a credit for ensemble participation, although the time and effort required of the students and their conductor is undoubtedly equivalent to, or…

Offers guidelines for effective implementation of informal assessment procedures at the middle level. Accompanying each guideline is a sample strategy to enhance the informal assessment procedure. Guidelines are: (1) create a classroom environment that is conducive to informal assessment; (2) encourage students to engage in self-reflection and…

This article presents a method for combining several descriptive indicators to yield an aggregated single summative index of the overall quality of the services received by clients in a service delivery system or program. The method described is based on the judgments of an evaluative panel. (Author/CTM)

Investigates how teachers of young children typically evaluate their students' work, focusing on the standards applied. Includes issues and recommendations made after observing different standards. (AS)

This study examined the attitudes, knowledge bases, and practices of 20 cooperating teachers and 20 student teachers regarding evaluation of pupil progress. Teachers often wrestled with balancing district demands for grading with pupil needs for affirmation and guidance. The complexity of the process and implications for teacher educators are…

The validity of two subjective approaches to judging in synchronized swimming were examined through a multitrait-multimethod matrix. Results indicated that judging panels tended not to differentiate between execution and content scores. (Author/JKS)

Highlights the importance of a positive first visual impression of a childcare center to prospective clients. Provides a facility assessment checklist with 44 questions in the areas of: (1) building and landscape; (2) entrance; (3) hallways and common space; (4) classrooms; (5) playground; (6) children's communications; and (7) staff…

Discusses the fundamental principles of evaluation to show that the conventional approaches to testing have led to a situation where procedure requirements overshadow the objectives of the learning process. Advocates instruments that address realistic communication goals and states criteria based on the learner's need for continous, constructive…

Problems in improving the reliability of essay marks are examined in this Australian study that considers the markings of 338 essays, each marked by one of 13 graders. It is concluded that improvement is needed but the changes necessary for the improvement are not feasible. (LC)

Incorporates and integrates various aspects of portfolio development, implementation, and evaluation into a portfolio model for the evaluation of counselors-in-training. Considers ethical implications and the importance of providing feedback to students. Also outlines the structure of and the time involved in the evaluation process. (RJM)

Discusses assessment as an integral part of teaching. Describes informal assessment and instructional decision making. Discusses the scope and methods of assessment. Provides examples of assessment related to the standards. (YP)

In three experiments, undergraduates evaluated student performance based on two sources of information differing in variability: test scores and grades. Differential weighting occurred only when instructions linked variability to reliability. It was concluded that evaluators will not ordinarily use relative variability of scores as an index of…

Discusses the benefits of portfolio assessment to counselor education programs. Provides a definition of portfolio and outlines a portfolio approach in counselor education. Asserts that portfolio assessment relies on performance in measuring learning outcomes. Gives an example of portfolio content, along with strategies for evaluating student…

A nationwide survey of preschool programs (N=178) serving handicapped children revealed that approximately half had formal written exit criteria, the most common of which was chronological age. Other factors included formal test results, team staffing decisions, and the child's developmental skill level. Formal written exit criteria differed…