The Ainsworth-Lund transformation process model offers a framework for observing and assessing growth/development by identifying needs and matching them to available resources. The model's four phases are described and an annotated bibliography is provided which documents the engineering education experiences corresponding to each phase. (JN)

This article first discusses purposes for assessing mathematics performance, including comparison with peer performance, identifying mastered skills, and targeting mathematics strategies. It then explains a variety of assessment strategies, including teacher-made tests, checklists/rating scales, graphs of student performance, interviews, miscue…

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…

A team programming approach that uses parents and professionals to select unified programming goals for severely/multiply disabled students, provide direct and indirect related services, integrate programming methods, and monitor student progress is described. Program philosophy and overall functional assessment-curriculum organizes team members…

The development of teacher-made "program pyramids" is recommended to organize individualized educational sequences for special needs students. The process involves analysis of the student's strengths and weaknesses, identification of general program domains, specification of program subdomains, statement of long-range goals, development of…

This booklet explores how a synergy between assessment and instruction can be forged to enhance student outcomes, especially for students with disabilities. The booklet defines and discusses assessment that enhances instruction, provides an overview of important criteria for judging the utility of this type of assessment, describes previous…

The Preschool Referenced Assessment process, intended to link ecological and judgment-based assessment to instructional planning for young children with disabilities in inclusive settings, is described, including instructions for use of assessment forms and development of goals and objectives for the child's Individualized Education Program. (DB)

This paper explains recommended procedures for establishing a computer based, multimedia, computer managed system emphasizing self-paced, individualized instruction as an approach to learner controlled education. The basic components or modules of such a system are briefly described, including student information, instructional analysis, learning…

A cost-effective, efficient strategy for informal assessment of learning-disabled students' writing samples utilizes an "Error Analysis Worksheet" which provides a written, documented record of the evaluation which can then be used to plan goals and objectives for writing instruction for the student. (CB)

This manual presents 12 guidelines to help teachers of students with mental retardation make more informed decisions about instruction by gathering and using student performance data. Development of the guidelines incorporated both teachers' recommendations and researchers' findings about what procedures work best, and guidelines were tested in…

A description is given of a program designed to provide preservice and inservice educators with training in the development of language arts processes, planning for instruction in order to meet a specific child's diagnosed needs, and evaluation of the instructional plan. Children participating in the program were diagnosed as needing instruction…

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effects of two factors, the data base used for instructional decision making and the structure of instruction, on student achievement. The dependent data were the number of words read correctly by 117 elementary school students on three basal reading passages. Students were rank ordered in two ways:…

Elementary school teachers in experimental classrooms participated in inservice training programs which consisted of interpretation of information on Rasch profiles, individualization, and classroom climate. The teachers in the control classrooms received inservice training in the traditional topics only. Pupils in the experimental and control…

An ongoing research program is examining use of technology to surmount difficulties in incorporating curriculum-based measurement in instructional programs for students with disabilities. The use of computers to assume the mechanical aspects of measurement and to help teachers translate assessment information into feasible instructional…

To assess students' business writing abilities upon entry into the business program and exit from the capstone course, a multitiered assessment package was developed that measures students' achievement of specific learning outcomes and provides "value-added" scores. The online segment of the test measures five competencies across three process…