Describes the implementation of a student portfolio requirement at Boulder Canyon High School (Arizona) in 1999 as part of a focus on continual student improvement. Advocates the use of portfolios as a way to show incremental gains in academic areas and as a tool for encouraging student ownership in their own personal growth and improvement. (KP)

This article relates experiences from three examples of cooperative learning activities at Arizona State University. These descriptions illustrate that cooperative learning activities work well with adults, can promote higher levels of thinking and mastery of the content, and can be used as a student evaluation vehicle. (IAH)

Describes a study investigating the academic relationship between passing standards on Florida's College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) and student achievement as measured by CLAST. Discusses assumptions underpinning the phased-in implementation of twice raised CLAST passing standards. Indicates that increased academic standards failed to…

Describes the processes and techniques used to assist a suburban, lower-middle socioeconomic community's school system plan strategies to improve its students' proficiency test scores. Techniques included content analyses of the system's textbooks, the Graded Course of Study, and standardized tests for grades four, six, and eight in comparison…

Asserts that, although portfolios are used frequently to evaluate art students, the potential of the portfolio as an intellectual, creative, and comprehensive test of artistic performance needs further exploration. Discusses the portfolio process as having three major components: (1) idea; (2) process; and (3) product. (CFR)

Discusses the 1997 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Arts Assessment. Addresses reasons for and implications of the NAEP results, and offers ideas on how music educators can use the results. Includes the content description of the NAEP music assessment and student responses to sample question 6. (CMK)

Portfolio assessment can be different in kind from traditional assessment measures: it can provide a fuller picture of the learner; it can be much more than an expanded grade book; but the criteria and language for evaluating and describing the portfolio must be different from those used for evaluating individual products. To describe the fuller…

A study evaluated a new freshman writing course offered to students at the University of Minnesota who were underprepared for study at a major research university. In the fall of 1997 it was proposed that all freshmen be placed in for-credit, strengthened, basic writing courses rather than placing certain students in non-credit, pre-college-level…

This booklet provides practical tips, techniques, hints, and suggestions developed by and for college teachers. The handbook serves as a useful guide for teachers who wish to improve their performance in the classroom. Specific topics include keeping students' attention and interest, helping students to think, teaching effectively in large group…

This practicum was designed to provide an assessment instrument that would serve as an alternative method of documenting the progress of kindergarten students. The portfolio approach to assessment of student progress was implemented in a kindergarten class and applied as an ongoing process. During a 12-week period, teacher and student selected…

The Austin Independent School District Office of Research and Evaluation (AISD-ORE) has recently completed a three year study of the effects of retention on elementary students. As in other studies comparing the academic achievement of elementary retainees and similar students not retained, findings indicated that promoted students generally show…

The low rate of agreement among readers of College Entrance Examination essays suggested the need to examine the qualities in student writing which caused wide variance in grading. To study this question, 300 homework papers by freshmen at three universities were graded by 60 distinguished readers in six fields. The following factors, by rank,…

This action research project evaluated a program for improving middle school and high school students' engagement and ownership in the learning process. The problems of students exhibiting an inadequate level of engagement and ownership was documented through data showing quality of student work, anecdotal records kept by the teachers, and…

Assessing student performance is a multidimensional process that involves an assessment of their knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Evaluation of work attitudes/habits as well as knowledge and skills is needed to prepare students for success and satisfaction in agricultural occupations. (SSH)

A seminar series was developed in a family medicine training program to provide residents with some basic skills required to interpret medical studies critically. The sessions were designed to be clinically relevant, dependent on active resident participation, and focused on research methodology and interpretation. (Author/JMD)