Forms of reasoning and problem solving required of students by innovative assessment projects in science are examined. The initial phase identified activities and school systems where new forms of science assessment were being piloted. The following are general dimensions of performance that were identified: (1) structured, integrated knowledge;…

This guide identifies considerations in the organization, operation, and evaluation of secondary and postsecondary vocational education programs. It contains both a vocational program guide and Career Merit Achievement Plan (Career MAP) for commercial vehicle driving. The guide contains the following sections: occupational description; program…

The concept of performance levels in criterion-referenced assessment is explored by applying the idea to different types of tests commonly used in schools, mastery tests (including diagnostic tests) and achievement tests. In mastery tests, a threshold performance standard must be established for each criterion. Attainment of this threshold…

As part of a series of documents describing assessment of student learning in various curriculum areas in South Carolina, this document reviews the assessment of student learning in the science classroom. The report begins with a discussion of effective science learning, and outlines the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that encompass science…

This document, part of a series of papers which describe the assessment of student learning in various aspects of the South Carolina curriculum from prekindergarten through grade 12, focuses on the assessment of student learning in the social studies classroom. It begins with an overview of current curriculum goals in social studies education and…

This instructional guide, one product of a large-scale research project on Jaime Escalante and his Mathematics and Science Program, describes the teaching and motivating strategies that he uses to bring about high academic achievement among poor minority urban youth in Los Angeles (California). The first part of five describes a pilot test in…

The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) examined the demands of the workplace and whether young people were capable of meeting those demands. Specifically, SCANS determined the level of skills required to enter employment. Fundamental changes in the nature of work were identified; these changes were found to hold…

The set of materials was designed for use in a workshop to train teachers and program developers in the participatory approach to designing and implementing vocational and workplace English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instructional programs. It first presents the principles of the participatory approach, based on the model of Paulo Freire, and…

This book is a guide to the development and use of performance tasks and rubrics in the middle school mathematics classroom. It contains a rationale for, and a discussion of strengths and limitations of, performance tasks to assess student achievement and progress in mathematics. A field-tested process is offered for developing performance tasks…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on transfer of learning. "The Effect of a Mastery Practice Design on Learning and Transfer in Behavior Modeling Training of Supervisory Listening Skills" (Gary L. May) reports on a case-control study that drew from research in the cognitive sciences on complex skill acquisition to create a…

A study was conducted to determine the effects of the formal evaluation process (FEP) of two- and four-year college faculty on instructional improvement. A questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 250 tenured faculty representing five colleges and universities. Respondents were asked to indicate whether three segments of the FEP (i.e.,…

Case studies were developed and analyzed during the spring and summer of 1991 for 10 workers participating in workplace classroom training. These adults were nominated by their respective labor unions because they provided good illustrations of how workplace educational programs can affect literacy and job performance. Descriptive methods used to…

This publication is the fourth issue of a report required by the North Carolina School Improvement and Accountability Act. It presents information that is related primarily to the outcomes of education based on student achievement with the intention of giving policy makers and decision makers the information needed to improve achievement. It…

Portfolios, collections of student work representing a selection of performance, are being used in classrooms today in the tradition of the visual and performing arts in which they serve to showcase a student's best pieces and the student's evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the pieces. Portfolios are useful as a support to new…

This monograph addresses the issue of full inclusion of children and youth with severe intellectual disabilities and whether this form of social and academic integration is consistent with the direction of present school reform policies. The first section examines the implications of current efforts in educational reform. A case study illustrates…