This study examined the validity of a measure of reading proficiency in content areas with 121 grade-10 students. Correlational analyses revealed low-moderate to moderate correlations between reading measures and scores on a classroom study task, grade point average, and achievement test performance. Recommendations are made for implementation…

Research indicates that engagement with text is critical to becoming a good reader and can be fostered in primary grades by using informal assessments of individual student's reading ability to guide instruction. Describes running record, miscue analysis, and cloze-procedure assessment tools and the assessment task of oral retelling. Sidebars list…

Delineated in easy-to-follow nontechnical language, this book provides a multitude of tested informal assessment strategies and devices, such as "kid watching," retellings, journals, informal reading inventories, writing surveys, portfolios, and think alouds. The book presents more than 200 reproducible assessment devices. The book helps…

This guidebook provides information on how to implement authentic assessment. It presents pertinent information in an easy-to-read format and is intended to be a reference for further resources. Chapter 1 defines relevant terms and compares traditional testing practices with authentic assessment. Specifically, it looks at the differences in…

This study consisted of a survey of 31 professional educators to determine their knowledge and attitudes concerning the use of portfolios as an assessment tool. Of the 31 surveys that were mailed to the subjects, 29 were returned, with a response rate of 94 percent. Out of the 29 professionals that were surveyed, only six had implemented the use…

This technical assistance handbook contains information on identifying Kentucky gifted students, including gifted students who live in rural areas or who are economically disadvantaged. Included in the handbook are: (1) recommendations for ensuring equity in the identification and assessment process; (2) a draft of a school district policy on…

This paper is the report of a year-long study of a mathematics teacher's attempts to document her observations of students. One goal of the project is to determine whether it is feasible for a teacher to keep a record of informal assessments such as observations and interviews. Another goal is to determine how useful such information could be to…

This book provides a guide for early childhood educators in implementing and using portfolio assessment to measure children's learning. Chapter 1 focuses on, "How Young Children Learn." It explains that children are active learners who learn by doing things repeatedly, by making mistakes, and by being exposed to varying approaches,…

This paper describes one teacher's use of cooperative learning techniques to increase motivation in her students. After briefly describing the problem of student motivation, reviewing the literature that addresses the topic, and noting the characteristics of the class and students, the paper provides a detailed discussion of the teaching methods…

Designed as a guide to conducting informal evaluations of middle school programs, the nine sections of this booklet review current thinking on issues of evaluation and offer sample questions to be considered by school evaluation teams. Following introductory materials, the first section reviews the benefits to conducting evaluations of…

Current assessment practices in the classroom can affect the movement toward a child-centered curriculum in mathematics education. The mathematical community is addressing the challenge to implement standards in the areas of testing, assessment, and accountability in order to maintain this movement. This digest: (1) discusses what makes current…

Writing teachers and educators can add to information from large-scale testing and teachers can strengthen classroom assessment by creating a tight fit between large-scale testing and classroom assessment. Across the years, large-scale testing programs have struggled with a difficult problem: how to evaluate student writing reliably and…

Assessment in the National Curriculum in England and Wales is an example of a different model. The report of the government-appointed working group on assessment, Task Group on Assessment and Testing (1988), states that assessment: (1) is an integral part of both teaching and learning; (2) should not determine what is to be taught and learned; and…

Although the main purpose of a school district's evaluation system is to improve employees' performance, the evaluation procedures and the supporting documentation must also serve as evidence in the termination hearings of an unsatisfactory employee. Accordingly, this chapter provides practical advice to school administrators concerning…

The use of time in school, specifically the portion of time defined as active responding time, has been shown to correlate significantly with achievement. The comprehensive observational methodology of the academic engaged time studies provides the basis for systematically investigating student responding time and elements of the educational…