As close reading assessment becomes ubiquitous in secondary education, so too does our interest in new literacies. Though online reading may seem to be at cross purposes with "on paper" close reading, this author suggests how the two may successfully intersect. The close reading initiative at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School in…

Career and technical education (CTE) is increasingly seen as a major potential contributor to the recovery of the U.S. economy. However, the effectiveness and impact of the current Carl D. Perkins Act (otherwise known as Perkins IV) that governs CTE are unclear. Is the federal investment in CTE paying off? To answer this, we need to establish the…

This year, an experimental group of 31 academically average high school sophomores were dual enrolled in both high school and college and will earn nine college credits by June. This paper presents a mid-year evaluation of student academic outcomes, which will be used for program improvement and future planning. The researcher is a member of the…

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)

The Vocational Assessment of Special Needs Individuals Project originated with the regional vocational schools and educational collaboratives of the Assabet and Blackstone Valleys cooperating to determine a meaningful process through which vocational assessment information could be collected, organized, and used in formulating a basis for…

The inservice package for assessment team members is designed to provide skill training regarding the vocational assessment process used with special needs students. Activities within the inservice training package sensitize individuals to the purposes of infusing vocational assessment into the educational curriculum, and provide instruction on…

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 describes the PLATO integration strategies used by Mashpee High School in Mashpee, MA to improve student performance on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test, the state's skill exam. The MCAS test covers two areas, mathematics and English, and is tied to high school graduation. Mashpee High School's efforts and…

Focusing on the problems of assessing the speaking skills of secondary school students, this paper provides one example of how those problems were addressed in the Massachusetts speaking assessment. The paper identifies four requirements for measures of speaking skills: (1) feasibility, (2) reliability, (3) validity, and (4) freedom from bias. The…

The nature of the listening and speaking instruments used for the Massachusetts assessment of those skills is discussed in this paper. Information concerning the design and administration of the assessment and data analysis is included. Copies of the instruments are appended. (FL)

This handbook consists of various forms, letters, and information sheets that are intended for use by those involved in the process of certifying student teachers who are participating in one of three prepracticum courses for business education majors at Suffolk University, Boston. The first section explains the purpose of Massachusetts'…

This handbook is intended to assist students, cooperating practitioners, and university supervisors who are involved in practicums for business education majors in Massachusetts. Policies for Suffolk University's student teaching practicum are outlined. Provided next are instructions and various reports and evaluation forms for student teachers…

A study reviewed the curriculum and program development for vocational-technical education in Massachusetts. Data for analysis were gathered by the Division of Occupational Education, Massachusetts Department of Education, from division research, third-party evaluations of vocational-technical education, and reports from other state agencies, as…

Described in the practicum report is the design, implementation, and evaluation of the first comprehensive high school program for five hearing impaired adolescents in Southeastern Massachusetts. Sections focus on the following topics: the Southeastern region's need for a high school hearing impaired program, the impact of the state invitation to…

How widely adopted world history textbooks cover Islam and the history of the Middle East is a timely and important subject to explore. In 2001 the American Textbook Council began a comprehensive review of middle school and high school world history textbooks. The Council relied on respected historians and standard sources, influential articles…