This paper documents the development of an authentic assessment evaluation process at Ohio's Wright State University (WSU), examining authentic assessment efforts related to PRAXIS III/Pathwise Assessment, which is being piloted by the Ohio Department of Education as the model for teacher licensure. Portfolios receive major attention during WSU's…

This paper describes a process model for evaluating school-university partnerships. It presents one university's inter-collegial collaboration model for teacher content preparation, explains a process for documenting content and teaching proficiency via an electronic portfolio, and presents the evaluation process used in a multifaceted renewal…

This fastback presents the essentials for understanding how to differentiate instruction to meet the learning needs of all students in today's classrooms. It focuses on: "The Need for Differentiated Instruction" (determining learning needs, deciding what to differentiate, and principles of differentiated instruction); "Strategies…

This document presents a sampling of projects and activities that have been implemented in Tech Prep training in South Dakota, or will be implemented during the upcoming school year. The projects and activities are categorized into 12 areas: career clusters; career units and activities; curriculum materials; employability skills; entrepreneurship;…

A project provided training and guidance to Northampton Community College (NCC) staff in implementing the "new" adult learner skill competencies. Two workshops were held to serve 29 staff in Monroe, Wayne, and Pike counties in Pennsylvania. Among the topics covered were defining and introducing portfolios to adult learners, individualizing…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for increasing student motivation and interest in school to improve academic growth. The targeted population consisted of 37 high school students in a rural central Illinois community. Twenty-five students were in art classes and 12 were in child care classes. Anecdotal records,…

These four newsletter issues provide information on current research and practice to early childhood professionals teaching in the primary grades in Colorado, focusing on education reform and developmentally appropriate practice. The first issue notes research supporting developmentally appropriate practice, describes Kentucky's primary school…

Since passage of Maryland State Senate Bill 795, the Baltimore City Public School System has implemented and advanced on a broad, multipronged front to enhance the quality, stability, and effectiveness of its school workforce. Examines four prongs: recruitment, retention, professional development, and performance evaluation of teachers and…

One of five articles in the second section, "Deepening Relationships through PDS Brings Change in Practice," this article discusses a course on portfolios for middle school teachers at a professional development school given by an Indiana State University professor. Presents teachers' insights and feelings about the course. (SM)

Describes the use of electronic portfolios in one Hawaiian secondary literature class. Students went through their journals, picked two entries that best represented their growth in reading during the course, and explained why. Next they created a presentation about their growth and enjoyment of literature using multimedia technology. (SM)

Maintains that issues of student assessment and grading are of particular concern to music teachers. Discusses and describes performance-based and alternative assessment techniques. Recommends the use of portfolios to determine student grades. (CFR)

To improve instruction, administrators and teachers in one New York school district have adapted portfolio assessment techniques for use in administrative evaluation of teachers. The paper describes the Portfolio Self-Assessment for Teachers, which accelerates the professional growth of novice teachers by creating a medium for guided reflection.…

Prescribes the use and grading of student-created assessment portfolios for a large-enrollment, introductory-level environmental science course. Grading involves a modified holistic-scoring technique that evaluates student-provided evidence of academic achievement from extended, authentic tasks. Portfolio use emphasizes the integration of facts…

Describes how portfolio use motivated teachers to become researchers in their own practice, synthesizing personal and professional experiences of graduate level student teachers. A three-year followup showed how they became researchers, carrying into their professional lives habits of mind learned from preservice portfolio projects. They continued…

Profiles a third-/fourth-grade thematic unit developed to introduce students to contemporary global society and its economic and environmental interdependence. The unit simulates a trip to foreign countries and integrates mathematics, music, art, and language. Various assignments are included in the student's portfolio. (MJP)