To meet the constantly changing needs of schools and diverse learners, educators must frequently monitor student learning, revise curricula, and improve instruction. Consequently, it is critical that careful analyses of student performance data are ongoing components of curriculum decision-making processes. The primary purpose of this study is to…

Tests, class assignments, and teaching methods usually focus only on linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences. The Teele Inventory of Multiple Intelligences examines students' dominant intelligences and has been used to demonstrate the abilities students possess at different grade levels. Teele has also developed a model that identifies…

Discusses a survey of 387 Nebraska school library media specialists regarding their perceived roles (as teacher, information specialist, instructional consultant) and school district evaluation practices. Fully 72% are not evaluated at all, are evaluated on a teacher-evaluation form, or are evaluated without apparent criteria. They are not…

Schools must consider performance or authentic assessment as a way to increase learner interest, motivation, and independence. The Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory has developed a model that addresses the concerns of content-area standards and lifelong-learner outcomes. These include content-area concepts, complex-thinking processes,…

Whenever performance assessment has been introduced into statewide testing programs, various potentially paralyzing difficulties have been encountered surrounding test accuracy, reliability, validity, or suitability. Programs in some states have been discontinued or placed in jeopardy. It is uncertain whether educators can overcome these problems…

Educators are generally untrained in sound assessment basics. They should conduct their own professional development in a total environment that demands and supports quality assessment. This environment should include a district statement of assessment policy, teacher/administrator partnerships, an integrated professional development plan, and…

Accountability systems are designed to heighten probability of student exposure to good instructional practice, reduce the likelihood of harmful practices, and provide internal self-correctives. The Chapter 1 accountability system fails to meet these objectives, as it lacks timely self-correction information, credible tests, and linkages among…

Only by exploring practical questions with teachers and considering their wisdom concerning brain-based resources can we accommodate multiple ways of knowing, while honoring the demands of curriculum mandates, state requirements, and college entrance expectations. A checklist enables teachers to survey specific approaches (collaboration, cultural…

Case study of grade 8 at-risk students' perceptions about learning in a nonstandard classroom, a "technology lab" designed around three research-based approaches to the educational environment: cooperative group work, authentic tasks and assessments, and appropriate use of technology. Finds that students feel more motivated to learn, receive…

The National Council on Standards and Testing's final report (1991) endorsed the concept of national education standards that reflect high expectations, provide focus, and embody a dynamic approach. Unresolved implementation difficulties include education system impact, improvement sequence, cost effectiveness, assessment purpose, multiple v.…

Administrators can structure successful transitions to standards-based curriculum and performance assessment. By thinking about this reform initiative's implications, building opportunities for thoughtful experimentation and dialogue, and anticipating dilemmas teachers might encounter during experimentation, administrators can design responsive…

Current concepts of performance assessment are very promising, partly because they are consistent with approved curriculum practice. The contemporary rationale for performance assessment has been largely uninformed by past ideas and practices. Overreliance on standardized test scores prevails, despite the midcentury core curriculum movement and…

Students at 1 East Harlem high school bypass Regents exams and Carnegie units, working intensively to prepare portfolios revealing their competence in 14 curricular areas. European assessment strategies differ from traditional U.S. tests by being truly representative of performance in the field, employing well-articulated performance standards,…

Delineates eight recommended steps toward effective teacher remediation, including developing clear performance criteria and commonly understood standards; relying on a clear set of procedures for deficient teachers; making remediation a team effort; varying intervention strategies; supplying adequate resources and supportive policies; and…

Since students possess intimate knowledge about their academic progress, they should be invited to participate in, or even lead, parent-teacher conferences. Interested middle schools should consider piloting their models, focus on the conference model process, have students identify personal goals, clearly define participants' roles, and evaluate…