Curriculum materials are among the most pervasive and powerful influences on school mathematics. In many mathematics classes, student assignments, the questions the teacher asks, the ways students are grouped, the forms of assessment, and much more originate in curriculum materials. At the same time, teachers have considerable latitude in how they…

What are the common pitfalls experienced by school researchers and how can they be avoided? Edited by Lisa M. Dinella of Monmouth University, "Conducting Science-Based Psychology Research in Schools" includes the collective knowledge of both established and emerging names in the field, providing an unparalleled resource for those interested in…

This report contains resources to help researchers and policymakers review measures used in NCEE evaluations of educational interventions. The measures included in the Compendium are applicable to settings for preschool through grade 12. The Compendium discusses criteria and their importance in selecting measures for assessing intervention impacts…

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an observation measure designed to capture teachers' use of interactive teaching skills within the delivery of the All Stars substance use prevention program. Coders counted the number of times teachers praised and encouraged students, accepted and used students' ideas, asked questions,…

This article argues that curriculum-based assessment and direct instruction are not models of assessment and instruction for human learning but isolated sets of measurement and control procedures. The paper advocates holistic understandings of assessment that directly emerge from human aspects of learning and teaching and from understandings of…

Nine studies of teaching critical thinking in universities are reviewed. A table summarizes the methodological features of the nine studies, describing each study's merits and allowing comparison across studies by criterion. A second table summarizes findings and measures used to quantify those findings. Findings are discussed in terms of measures…

Discussed are two techniques that can be used to directly test the theory that the plates which make up the crust of the earth are still moving. Described are the use of satellite laser ranging and very long baseline interferometry. Samples of data and their analysis are provided. (CW)

This critique discusses conceptual and practical issues raised in a paper by D. Marston (EC 210 837) on choosing the most technically adequate graph for measuring progress on individual education plans. The critique argues that the Standard Behavior Chart is a technically adequate and useful measurement tool. (JDD)

This article responds to a criticism (EC 231 964) of a paper that discusses graphs for measuring progress on individual education plans (EC 210 837). It notes that the type of chart used is not a major issue; the important point is that teachers repeatedly gather data on educationally relevant tasks and evaluate intervention effectiveness. (JDD)

Procedures that could be used to assess progress in instructional programs designed to enhance cognitive skills are reviewed, discussing measures of the following parameters: (1) knowledge acquisition, organization, and structure; (2) problem representation; (3) mental models; (4) metacognitive skills; (5) automaticity of performance; and (6)…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether existing instrumentation is capable of identifying learning style differences within and among college students. Focusing upon methodology, rather than processing, the Renzulli/Smith Learning Style Inventory (RSLI) was administered to 115 sophomores and juniors. The RSLSI was developed to assess…

This paper examines aspects related to the validity of process-product research involving classroom observation and teacher effectiveness. Differences in categories, terminology, and definitions of five classroom observation instruments are delineated and discussed in relation to their various effects on the validity of process-product research…

In order to provide students training to teach handicapped learners with practice in acquiring and utilizing information about individual pupils in classroom situations, a guided design approach was implemented in a course on decision making that covered the major assessment techniques. A modified guided design book was written for the course…

Proposes the use of procedural task analysis as a tool to assess a person's mental processes during problem solving in science education research. Uses transcriptions of videotape or audiotape problem-solving sessions to identify students' knowledge structures and misconceptions. (MDH)

The following 14 papers, with abstracts and references, are compiled in this conference proceedings: "Exploring the Roles and Duties of Vocational Special Needs Educators" (Melanie Fagert); "Professional Competencies for Provisionally Licensed Career and Technical Education Teachers in Virginia" (Betty Heath-Camp, Daisy L.…