Adolescents with learning disabilities are not educated in a vacuum. Successful programming for these students involves many school professionals working together to integrate their programs for the benefit of students with learning disabilities. Collaborative teaming probably can best be described as an attitude rather than a certain way of…

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a screening instrument (the Swedish Communication Screening at 18 months of age; SCS18), derived from the Swedish MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory, in identification of 18-month-old children who will be severely language disabled by 3 years of age, the authors (a) analyzed which SCS18's…

Many college and university teachers across the United States remain hostile, at least privately, to student evaluation of faculty performance despite the general use of such evaluation in the academy for the past three decades. However, professionals can use student evaluations to their advantage if they "stage a pre-emptive strike"--in other…

This guide provides advice on effective use of assessments in adult basic and literacy education programs. Chapter 1 considers different types of standardized tests, their purposes, their advantages and limitations, misuses of standardized tests, and other types of assessments. Chapter 2 on informal assessments defines alternative and informal…

In contrast to standardized tests, which do not accurately reflect the achievement of young students, portfolio assessment is a valuable tool for documenting a student's development. Portfolio assessment can be conducted formally or informally through observation or by interview. Documentation of observations can take the form of checklists,…

The 11-lesson instructional unit, "Work and Your Life," is designed for adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students at intermediate to advanced levels. Its focus is on the student's exploration of work and other lifestyle issues. The teacher functions as the facilitator or guide, while the student uses self-knowledge and outside resources to…

This facilitator's guide, and the videotape it accompanies, is designed to demonstrate ways in which the new visions of science education for the 21st century might be translated into classroom practice. The National Research Council's (NRC) National Science Education Standards, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Benchmarks…

Emerging theories suggest that learning is contingent on cognitive development, which is, in turn, influenced by conative and ecological factors. These three domains--cognitive, conative, and ecological--all make important contributions to understanding student achievement. Their collective influences should be understood when formulating an…

A project was conducted to develop and implement a comprehensive assessment system in existing adult education programs. Weekly site visits were made to four programs as follows: a segment of a large adult program offering literacy, General Educational Development (GED), and specialized technical courses; a small community-based program with…

This guide is designed to introduce adult literacy educators to the concept of portfolio assessment and to provide some guidance about how to incorporate portfolio assessment into adult literacy education work. An introduction describes what a portfolio is and provides an overview of the four major areas of reflection and decision making that make…

This monograph attempts to provide an overview of current educational issues that affect brain-injured students with special emphasis on the assessment process. An introduction notes recognition of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its definition under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 as well as the increasing numbers of such…

In the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District, course and basic skills prerequisites have been established for all courses. Students with no record of completing these prerequisites cannot enroll unless they have been assessed by a counselor, have had their prerequisites verified in alternate ways, and have been granted override status for…

Strategies and techniques appropriate for providing vocational education and employment to learning-disabled adolescents and adults at both the secondary and postsecondary levels now exist. The first step involves formal and informal activities to appropriately identify learning disabled students. Formal assessments should be conducted by…

The relationship among writing assessment strategies which may be applicable to competency based testing was examined in a study involving 128 high school students in six English classes in grades 11 and 12. Each student wrote two essays of at least 200 words on topics designed to test expository, or explanatory writing, and completed an objective…

Designed to provide mature adults in an urban setting with an alternative to the high school diploma, the External High School Diploma Program of the District of Columbia is a systematic assessment of an individual's demonstrated competencies in the four generalized life skills areas of health, social/political, consumer/producer, and career…