Adult education practitioners need informal measures for determining whether particular learners may have a learning disability. The process of identifying individuals with possible learning disabilities begins with a simple screening. Screening does not happen just once; it is an ongoing process that serves as the practitioner's guide, at…

This guide provides introductory information on developmental and cultural issues that may affect evaluation of culturally and linguistically diverse children for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Although much of the information in this document may be useful for determining instruction and…

Analyzed statewide elementary and secondary school data from the Kansas Writing Assessment to examine the effects on student writing performance of student choice of topic and teacher choice (related to extent of engagement and amount of time allowed for writing processes). Results find the effect of choice is negligible, though it promotes good…

Describes a library-based assignment planned collaboratively between a history teacher and high school librarian that focused on the Internet and problem based learning (PBL). Highlights include the planning process; the California SCORE History-Social Science Web site; role playing; information literacy; student research and presentations; and…

Suggests that much of the research on middle level education is weak, sparse, and inconclusive. Presents critiques of research and an overview of the research findings of several highly-rated middle level programs. Identifies four factors contributing to the problem, specifically: an insufficient number of studies, utilization of weak research…

As Western educators help Central and Eastern European institutions develop programs in business and economics education, five areas require attention: (1) team teaching by local and Western faculty; (2) coordination between host and Western institutions; (3) institution building; (4) careful selection and preparation of faculty to provide…

Performance-based, contextual assessments can highlight the academic and personal strengths of students that may be overlooked or judged pathological by traditional psychometric measures. This case study of a 10-year-old African American male special-education student illustrates how portfolio assessment improved the perception of his academic…

Reports the results of a case study of home computing use in an Open University (Great Britain) multimedia course. The use of student questionnaires and journals is described; and student attitudes about relating new information to existing knowledge, retention, transfer of knowledge, the need for reference materials, and time spent are discussed.…

Current and likely future national policy and procedures for British university program evaluation are discussed, including assessments undertaken at different levels of governance. Issues in the national debate over assessment and accountability are enumerated and illustrated in the case of the University of Brighton. Persistent difficulties in…

A study investigated general and vocational skills of 32 British business undergraduates before and after their field experiences, as perceived by the students and their employers. Although the parties agree that some skill development occurred during field experience, substantial discrepancies between student and employer perceptions of actual…

An empirical test of a method of teacher evaluation by predicting student performance and comparing it with actual outcomes is described. Results from 6,249 urban fifth graders in 103 schools suggest that teachers can be evaluated in this way and that the best and worst teachers can be identified. (SLD)

A method of student evaluation of preclerkship clinical medical teaching used at the University of Toronto (Canada) is described. The method has a high response rate, yields data on individual teacher effectiveness and course content coverage, is stable over time, and has been well received by students and faculty. (MSE)

Maintains that the standardized teacher/course evaluation form has become a ritual at virtually every major U.S. university. Argues that many good teachers are unrewarded, ineffective ones win prizes, and the evaluation process is a means of monitoring political orthodoxy. (CFR)

Describes library reorganization at the University of Arizona resulting from fiscal challenges and the need for current technology. Highlights include: the restructuring process and customer focus; team functioning and the learning organization, including training issues, communication, empowerment, and evaluation/assessment; current challenges,…

A University of Minnesota pilot study of administrator evaluation had administrators (n=46) help define the leadership behaviors and outcomes on which they would be evaluated, then gain feedback from peers whose opinion they valued. The feedback process was computerized. Participants perceived the method as fair, valid, reliable, and personally…