The Learning Record is a framework teachers can use to translate their observations of students into a disciplined, systematic, standards-based reporting process. This guide offers all the information necessary to use the Learning Record in elementary school. The chapters are: (1) "Documenting Prior Experience"; (2) "Documenting Student Learning";…

As community colleges open their doors to a wider range of students a variety of programs must be designed to develop basic skills in underachievers. (Editor/IR)

Auditing is an objective examination conducted to determine accountability and the level of management control existing in the operation of an organization. Discusses the different types of commitments required of regional associations for implementing an auditing process in school program evaluation. (Author/RK)

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has proposed six assessment standards: (1) assessment should focus on the most important mathematics; (2) assessment should enhance mathematics learning; (3) assessment should promote equity; (4) assessment processes should be open to review; (5) assessment should yield valid inferences about…

Presents information on a standards-based assessment for student laboratory work. Four criteria--planning and design, experimental execution, observation of changes, and interpretation and explanation--are presented along with standards for assessment of laboratory performance. Describes the benefits of teachers enunciating both criteria and…

Though high-stakes testing is one of the worst school reform ideas circulating today, states are increasingly making them the focus of school improvement strategies, assuming that the threat of severe penalty pressures students and teachers to improve performance. The paper explains why this theory is flawed, noting that many building blocks…

Peer assessment provides a useful mechanism to develop many positive qualities in students studying in higher education (HE). Potential influences on peer-awarded marks include student qualities such as gender, HE background (e.g. university affiliation) and participation in the development of the assessment criteria. Many studies that have…

Portfolios, a term derived from the carrying case of paintings or drawings that artists present as proof of their talents, are collections of student work. With the nationwide efforts to raise graduation standards and the increasing use of standardized testing, the idea of basing promotion and graduation decisions on portfolios of students' work…

In today's growing technological age of educational software and interactive Internet teaching/learning websites, it is important to note that educators must take the time to see that the interactive electronic experiences their students are involved meet the appropriate standards, hence been evaluated. This article provides the readers with an…

When the federal Commission on the Future of Higher Education delivered its final report to the secretary of education in September, accreditors and many higher-education leaders breathed a small sigh of relief. The document did not endorse an early recommendation that the current accreditation system be completely dismantled. Now, though, just a…

The proliferation of standards developed at the national and state levels makes preparing a meaningful classroom curriculum a daunting task. This book was designed for teachers who seek a model and processes for designing standards-based units of study to use in their own classrooms. Chapter 1 discusses the purpose of standards and defines content…

This report is a summary of a March 1994 meeting to agree on guidelines for making inclusion and accommodation decisions concerning students with disabilities in national and state large-scale assessments. Much of the discussion at the meeting focused on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Factors that lead to the exclusion of…

Simple measures of reading, spelling, and written expression were administered to 566 elementary students from the states of Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Each child was individually administered three reading word lists, three reading passages, two dictated spelling lists, and two story starters. Approximately 25 minutes was needed for…

Measuring the amount learned that is, the gain students make between pretests and posttests, is described as an aspect of a study to determine effective evaluation in higher education and is considered with respect to determination of course grades and educational standards. (JH)

While resisting the trends toward overuse and misuse of standardized tests, English teachers still must recognize that many aspects of English programs can and should be evaluated. (JH)