Dr. Hal Abeles is a foundational leader in developing music performance assessments, conducting program evaluations of arts partnerships, and publishing basic research on the effects of arts instruction on learning in and across cognitive, social and personal domains. This article explores the theoretical and practical issues in music performance…

This synthesis paper represents the input of 60 respondents to a working paper on a conceptual model of educational outcomes for children and youth with disabilities. The input is organized around the broad areas of: (1) underlying assumptions, (2) the conceptual outcomes model and indicators, (3) unresolved issues, and (4) general…

The practicum was designed to increase the usefulness of psychoeducational data provided by the school psychologist for educational decision making concerning handicapped students at the elementary level. The first goal was to provide staffing committee members with psychoeducational data in a more useful form than data provided through…

This study compared two methods for evaluating ecological and developmental factors in Individualized Family Service Plans for families of young children with disabilities. The two methods were (1) goals and objectives written from a curriculum-based assessment, and (2) a computerized list of goals and objectives based on professional judgment.…

The Evaluation and Programming System: Assessment Level I (EPS-I) was evaluated for effectiveness in developing individual education goals among handicapped or at-risk infants and young children. Early interventionists (N=48) used EPS-I and other instruments to develop goals which were compared. Findings indicate EPS-I goals were functional,…

This study examined psychometric properties and usefulness of the Evaluation and Programming System: Assessment Level I (EPS-I) by analyzing validity, reliability, and utility data from 335 nonhandicapped, at-risk, and handicapped infants and young children. Outcomes portrayed EPS-I as a valid, reliable, and helpful instrument for developing and…

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is described as a method of helping teachers measure student performance accurately and adapt their instruction to improve student achievement. Curriculum-based measurement's features include measurement of student proficiency across the annual curriculum, and use of a standardized, prescriptive measurement…

Thirty special education teachers were assigned to a dynamic-goal or static-goal curriculum-based measurement group, or a control group. Results with their 60 mildly/moderately handicapped students showed that dynamic goal teachers increased goals more frequently and employed more ambitious goals, and their students had better content mastery than…

Three objectives were identified regarding the Health Through Science Project, a comprehensive K-12 health project designed to increase student knowledge and understanding of health topic. Topics composing the core curriculum of the project were nutrition, safety, family living skills, personal hygiene and health, and human reproduction. Upon full…

This external evaluation report provides formative evaluation data on several aspects of a project at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) to implement performance-based evaluation of student learning. The first section evaluates feedback from 12 senior mathematics and 4 senior chemistry majors regarding their understanding of the mathematics…

It is argued that self-assessment skills, used for planning and monitoring achievement, must be taught to college students. One method, use of a personal diary of progress, is described and illustrated. An alternative or complementary procedure for teaching self-assessment skills, which can be used with large groups, is also outlined. (MSE)

Based on a review of literature on social work field learning and analysis of current data on student performance criteria, eight learning objectives for field study were identified. The objectives reflect traditional concepts and contemporary demands on the profession. A student field performance evaluation method using the objectives is…

This document provides an overview of the rationale for, and characteristics of, individual growth and development indicators (IGDIs) for children birth to age 8 and their families. Development of such indicators is part of a 5-year project by the Early Childhood Research Institute Measuring Growth and Development to conduct research on, develop,…

Behaviorism was the dominant epistemology in education approximately 20 years ago, while constructivism has most recently been the dominant epistemology in the field. In this paper, differences between the assumptions of behaviorism and constructivism are briefly identified, and the behaviorist pedagogy of Individually-Guided Education and the…

Developmental Sentence Scoring (DSS) is a measure of spoken syntax that provides a numeric variable, provides some developmental data, and serves an organizing function for asking and answering clinical questions. DSS is useful in making diagnostic judgments, selecting goals and planning treatment, and measuring intervention efficacy. Difficulties…