Discusses the effects that information and communication technologies are having on education, particularly the introduction of online courses; and describes a study at the Ghent University that examines how students cope with a re-engineered course that is task-based and how it affects their learning styles. Examines the results from tested…

Demonstrates that Advanced Placement (AP) courses may not be appropriate for every student. Discusses the process of selecting students for AP U.S. history. Criteria include an application, summer sessions, and evidence of motivation to excel in the program. Considers the effects of this policy. (CMK)

Introduces the symposium that explores the 1997 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) arts assessment. Provides information on NAEP, the arts assessment, and its importance; a discussion on the results of the arts assessment; and interpretations and implications of the results. Offers suggestions for arts advocacy. (CMK)

Reports on a patient of Japanese background with suspected dementia in an English-speaking geriatric unit. The subject was tested in Japanese using tasks such as naming, story recall, and processing by semantic category. Results demonstrate the potential contribution of information from language-based tasks in the person's preferred language to…

Examines two rating scales for assessment of oral proficiency and judges both as inadequate because they are based on an untenable theory of the development of proficiency in a second language and on mistaken intuitions about oral interaction. The paper concludes with a discussion of an architectural, context-dependent theory of second-language…

Compares the predictive performances of the Illinois CANTS 17B and the Washington State Risk Matrix on a sample of New Jersey child protective services cases using logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Both instruments predict case recidivism, closings, and substantiation with probabilities greater than chance.…

Computer-based and standardized administration of the Test of Word Knowledge were compared for 30 adolescent subjects with learning disabilities. The total, receptive, and expressive composites were higher for the standard administration. Results indicated the need for independent norms for computer-based adaptations of standardized language…

In the United Kingdom, a trend in professional education is toward a competence-based certification scheme to be used in tandem with academic qualifications. However, philosophical differences are found that, linked to structural issues, make this pairing problematic. An alternative approach that allows competencies to be recognized through the…

A framework for improving student and course evaluation in higher education is presented. The framework is based on a simple quality control model. Suggestions for support mechanisms and resources for improving practice are also offered. (MSE)

Examines the strategies used in answering a computerized multiple-choice test where all questions on a semantic topic were grouped together or randomly distributed. Findings indicate that students grouped by performance on the test used different strategies in completing the test due to distinct cognitive processes between the groups. (AEF)

Describes a study examining the relationship between scores on a Sentence Skills component of an English placement test and final course grades in a community college marketing course. Finds a significant positive correlation between scores and final grades, but one not strong enough to be used for predictive purposes. (13 citations) (BCY)

Advanced placement (AP) tests in the United States are one of the best examples of home-grown high standards, but only a few students participate in them. Increasing student access to AP examinations offers a ready-made approach to high standards that can be expanded easily. (SLD)

Presents findings from the first phase of a longitudinal study examining the development of articulation quality and specific phoneme awareness during the fourth year of life. Articulation and phoneme awareness of /r/ and a control phoneme were assessed for 80 3-year-old children. (Author/JL)

In this longitudinal study, reading acquisition was related to phonological sensitivity and rapid naming in young children. Phonological assessment consisted of rhyme and initial consonant discrimination, whereas rapid naming tasks were made up of pictures, letters, and numbers. Subjects were 95 children from two grade levels, primary and grade…

Examination of participation and accommodation policies of all states revealed that in most states the Individualized Education Program team is central in deciding the participation of students with disabilities in state assessments. Testing accommodations are commonly allowed, although there is considerable variability. States generally offer…