In 1992, eight two-year colleges in Northern California were chosen to participate in a quantitative study of the relationship between student outcomes and the use of instructional methods recommended in the Cross/Angelo Classroom Assessment Model. The model supports the modification of instruction based on frequent, quick, and anonymous written…

This monographic series volume contains two separate monographs. "The Training of Student Teachers in Discovery Methods of Instruction and Learning," (John Heywood, Sarah Heywood) discusses the polarization of discovery learning and expository teaching. It describes a unit in the applied psychology of instruction, commonly known as…

Tools used in scaling proficiency scores from the Second International Assessment of Educational Progress (IAEP) are described. The second IAEP study, conducted in 1991, was an international comparative study of the mathematics and science skills of samples of 9- and 13-year-old students from 20 countries. This paper focuses on part of the second…

To address the challenges created by increased student diversity, expanding enrollment, and shrinking budgets, Midlands Technical College, in South Carolina, designed a student success program in 1989 to enhance student retention, student satisfaction, and student goal achievement. Key components of the system include: (1) a year-to-year and…

A brief sketch is presented of the assessment strategies of the College Board in two unique programs, EQUITY 2000 and Pacesetter, both works in progress that attempt to meet the challenges of the new era of equity and excellence in education. EQUITY 2000, launched in 1990, is a multi-faceted approach to closing the gap between college-going rates…

Developed for local faculty senates and individual faculty members in the California Community Colleges (CCC), this report provides suggestions, strategies, and tips for undertaking faculty mentoring efforts aimed at increasing the persistence and transfer of underrepresented students in the CCC. Following an introduction and brief discussion of…

Students in poverty areas still perform poorly on achievement tests, have high dropout rates, and are not receiving the kind of assistance they need. This paper reports the educational experiences and needs of middle school students in poverty. Specific topics include: (1) the distribution of middle school students in poverty by social background,…

This document details state-level actions taken in Texas during 1990-92 as part of the state's continuing education-reform efforts. Following the state's educational mission statement and long-range plan for public education (1991-1995), nine sections detail the state's educational goals and objectives, which include: (1) all students will achieve…

This report describes how the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Framework for Educational Accountability, which specifies outcomes and indicators for six developmental levels (ages three and six, grades four, eight, and twelve, and post-school), can be used to implement parts of the National Association of State Directors of Special…

With the move to self-governance and the dismantling of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), there is a need to know if Aboriginal education systems are providing superior, adequate, marginal, or unsatisfactory standards of education for their students. A study of 165 First Nations students attending a K-10 First Nations school sought to…

Research has shown a decline in motivation and performance for many children as they move from elementary school into middle school; however, research has also shown that the nature of motivational change on entry to middle school depends on characteristics of the learning environment in which students find themselves. This Digest outlines some…

In response to concern about the effectiveness of programs for English-as-a-Second-Language students in California's schools, the Santa Ana Unified School District, in which over 80 percent of students are limited-English-proficient (LEP) conducted a study of both the operations and effectiveness of the district's language development program,…

ACT and 127 institutions (primarily community colleges) worked together on a Partners in Progress Research project comparing ASSET reading, writing, and math scores (incoming student placement tests) with CAAP reading, writing, and math scores (exiting student outcomes test). This was in order to refine the content of the related exams, and…

This paper discusses the use of WebQuest, a World Wide Web-based multi-user game, in promoting learning motivation and navigation skills in K-9 students. WebQuest demonstrates ways to integrate games, Internet communication facilities, Web-based courseware, and database techniques together in order to assist learning. The following guidelines for…

This issue of the "VCCA Journal" contains the following articles: (1) "Dear Andrei--Dear Patricia: International Education in English Composition I," by Robert Kilmer; (2) "The Cultivation of Critical Thinking: Some Tools and Techniques," by Russell Crescimanno; (3) "Assessment Partnership: A Model for Two-Year…