Contemporary education has moved towards the requirement of express articulation of assessment criteria and standards in an attempt to provide legitimacy in the measurement of student performance/achievement. Exemplars are provided examples of best or worst practice in the educational environment, which are designed to assist students to increase…

The Native American Needs Assessment Action Plan is designed to assist educators and administrators in addressing the needs and areas of possible opportunity that have been identified through the annual Native American Needs Assessment conducted by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. The Action Plan is organized around areas of need…

Most principals know about the Common Core State Standards, but they may not be aware that they are different from previous standards in one essential way: they emphasize students' capacity to understand complex texts. Standard 10 puts an unprecedented focus on texts and will fundamentally change assessments, textbooks, and teaching at the…

Power Teaching weaves four factors into a seamless whole: standards, teaching thinking, research based strategies, and critical inquiry. As a prototype in its first year of development with an urban fifth grade class, the power teaching model connects selected district standards, thinking routines from Harvard University Project Zero Research…

Calvin VanderWerf--college president, dean, and department head--is described as a man of distinction. Although it is primarily as a teacher that he has helped and influenced thousands of students, his contribution to the College Board is defined as unique and substantial. (Author/MLW)

Identifies the doctoral psychology programs producing the most mentors (identified as dissertation supervisors). Assesses the quality of these programs as rated in past research. Discovers a strong correlation between those programs assigning mentors and those rated highest in quality. (MJP)

The high school diploma is attacked as providing inadequate evidence of student development, socialization, and achievement. Discussed are major potential consequences of the movement towards "competency-based education" affecting college admissions, curricula, graduation requirements, and student learning. (AF)

Good teaching highlights underlying connections between creation and dissemination of knowledge. Analysis of successful biology departments for underlying themes in improving undergraduate education led to the following conclusions: the best kind of teaching is one-on-one; change must be firmly grounded at the departmental or programmatic level;…

Techniques used by one college teacher to motivate, encourage, and lead students to success in college and beyond include exemplifying education's value, reinforcing effort, offering diversity in assignment types, being persistent with individual students, using student self-assessment, upholding deadlines and standards, being accessible,…