This article is a commentary of a paper by Derek C. Briggs and Frederick A. Peck, "Using Learning Progressions to Design Vertical Scales That Support Coherent Inferences about Student Growth," which describes an elegant potential framework for at least beginning to address three priorities in large-scale assessment that have not been…

This book begins with the introductory chapter, "Don't Think; Just Get on with Your Work," in which the author argues that children are thinkers, but that there are schooling barriers to engaging this thinking. Chapter 1, A Place to Think, considers these barriers in more detail and provides some ideas about how children learn in schools and what…

In this article, the authors discuss the advantages of block scheduling and how it can be an effective educational tool when faced with educational challenges. Block schedules can ease the transition from the homelike atmosphere of the elementary school to the departmentalized environment of the high school by reducing the need for constant class…

A panel of researchers examined why individualized instruction is successful in industrial, military, and medical training but less so in elementary and secondary schools. The reasons revolve around the rewards students receive, student maturity and motivation, and the amount of time spent on task. (Author/JM)

Strategies for informing teachers about academic learning time, the major concept of the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study, are described. Recommendations include: (1) encouraging a stance of reflection and self-study among teachers; (2) teacher involvement in research, (3) staff development efforts; and (4) appreciation of the complexities of…

Three possible ways to link teachers with research on teaching and teaching practices are described: (1) rules, (2) evidence, and (3) schemata (which provide a way to "see" a phenomenon and to think about it). Illustrations are drawn from the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study. Schemata on classroom time and teacher behavior are…

This paper argues that a precondition for good studying and learning in undergraduate study is a reasonable student workload. Ways in which workload can be measured, in advance of presentation, are outlined. Suggestions on how to regulate student workload and some implications for curriculum and course design are presented. (GLR)

An overview is provided of curriculum management and "mapping," an auditing technique for assessing the content, time, and sequence of the taught curriculum as reported by the teacher. The general notion of management is first discussed in terms of three basic kinds of activities: defining purpose and mission, configuring available…

Describes implementation of computer simulation to aid in training psychology students in research methodology. Four skills required in research are reviewed; the simulation's context and the software used are described; and student activities, including submission of articles to online class journals and students' responses to the method, are…

Discusses the undereducated U.S. workforce and the resulting need for workforce education. Highlights include personalized systems of instruction; individualized instructional programs; cognitive processing; prior knowledge; time on task; feedback and assessment; metacognition; motivational links; and the need for a multilayered approach to…

Describes how five elementary and secondary schools have successfully altered the traditional school schedule in order to develop greater educational quality. These schools give examples of using time more flexibly, allowing teachers to help slower students, helping teachers polish their lessons and go deeper into their disciplines, and providing…

Effective curriculum is based on a mastery learning model. According to Carroll's mastery learning model, learning rate is partially a function of student "perseverance" or time on task, which is in turn determined by a learner's entering repertoire and the quality of instruction. Although the mastery-learning model looks simple, its execution is…

Reviews current research regarding integrated learning systems (ILS) in elementary and secondary education. Topics discussed include instructional effectiveness; implementation strategies, including adequate time, teacher involvement, curriculum integration, and staff development; classroom social processes; and implications for teachers. (LRW)

Discusses fluency-based instruction based on Skinner's research on response rate measures and Precision Teaching. Topics addressed include learning outcomes associated with fluency; fluency and overlearning; implications for instructional design; examples of fluency-based education and training; and strategies for marketing fluency-based…

Discusses the change in teachers' roles with integrated learning systems (ILSs) from the role of deliverer of instruction to manager of instruction. Topics addressed include scheduling; assigning lessons; motivating students; evaluation of task performance; the communication process; time equity; merging the ILS with the classroom curriculum; and…