The ongoing reform of mathematics instruction creates a need to refine students' assessment practices. This digest describes portfolios and provides information about the types, focus, and content of mathematics portfolios. The advantages and disadvantages of portfolio assessment are also discussed, and a list of World Wide Web resources related…

Educators use informal theories and assumptions to guide their actions, yet often fail to evaluate these beliefs. This digest examines the nature and purpose of educational-indicator systems and discusses the design of report cards by which schools can inform the public of their performance. An indicator is any statistic that casts light on the…

Educators use informal theories and assumptions to guide their actions, yet often fail to evaluate these beliefs. This ERIC Digest in Spanish examines the nature and purpose of educational-indicator systems and discusses the design of report cards by which schools can inform the public of their performance. An indicator is any statistic that casts…

The role of instructional television (ITV) in elementary and secondary education is assessed, beginning with an overview of the history of the medium from the first experimental educational broadcasts in 1933 to the present. Research in the area is reviewed, and three primary methods of evaluation are identified: (1) basic research, which measures…

This Digest defines student engagement and describes various methods used to measure it, both in empirical research studies and at the classroom level. Student engagement has been defined in various ways, but it is evident that students who are engaged show sustained behavioral involvement in learning activities accompanied by a positive emotional…

Literature on evaluating the communication skills of teachers is briefly reviewed in this paper. Topics under consideration include how different states evaluate communication, how communication should be evaluated, whether or not state assessments reflect current research on teacher assessment, and how useful is the attempt to assess…

Intended for administrators and policy makers as well as teachers, this digest offers selection strategies for consumers of English/language arts computer software. Following the introduction, the digest discusses initial considerations when evaluating software, including examining both the accompanying documentation and the actual program. It…

This brief paper summarizes what is known about sensory integration and sensory integration dysfunction (DSI). It outlines evaluation of DSI, treatment approaches, and implications for parents and teachers, including compensatory strategies for minimizing the impact of DSI on a child's life. Review of origins of sensory integration theory in the…

This digest concerns itself with the origin of reflective thought, the application of theories about reflective thought to classrooms, conflicts and issues, and a synthesis of the essential ideas. Sections of the Digest address origin of the idea of reflective thought, definitions of reflective thinking, questioning strategies, how to generate…

American schools are being challenged to provide opportunities for students to achieve at much higher levels. Assessment is viewed as one of the essential elements in assisting schools to address the standards now deemed to be important in a manner that will help all students to achieve them. The major challenge for assessment is to implement…

This digest offers principles of performance assessment as an alternative to norm-referenced tests. The definition of performance assessment developed by the U.S. Congress's Office of Technology and Assessment is given, common features are listed, and the terms "performance" and "authentic" are defined. Suggested guidelines for…

More than 10,000 instructional software packages have been published for elementary and secondary schools--thousands in each discipline. Unfortunately, not all sources of courseware evaluations are equally reliable; therefore, it is important to determine that evaluations include: (1) critical appraisal of content accuracy; (2) in-depth…

This ERIC Digest suggests that traditional assessment techniques must be complemented by new methods that can reinvigorate and improve the teaching and study of history in the schools. Teachers and researchers agree that recall of discrete information and traditional forms of assessment emphasize low-level cognition without challenging students to…

Technology alone will not improve educational quality, but when integrated with curriculum and instruction, it is a powerful tool. This digest reviews how educators can evaluate technology-based curriculum materials for use in classrooms. Authenticity is key to evaluating technology-based curriculum materials. To promote authenticity, learning…

This digest briefly discusses the identification of students who are gifted, difficulties in the identification process, appropriate identification practices, and procedures that can help with identification. First, it stresses that identification must be the means to securing appropriate services for the student, not an end in itself. The paper…