Discusses activities that can help language students use the concept of personal competence to become better learners. Teachers can list student and teacher responsibilities, ask students for feedback on class activities, and implement student suggestions to accommodate individual and group learning styles. (three references) (MDM)

Argues that examinations and assignments shape the way students learn, read, write, and think, and that authentic testing is the most powerful step toward improved student learning. Assignments must pose real questions addressed by practitioners in the discipline in question, must make scholarly sense, and must challenge students to perform rather…

Describes the work of a team of university and public school mathematics educators to design mathematics assessment tasks that are effective for at-risk students. Perspectives are offered on the need for alternative mathematics assessment and the dangers inherent in the undertaking. Practical design considerations are discussed. (SLD)

Sixty-two college students with learning disabilities were compared to 58 peers matched on gender and American College Testing composite score. Groups were compared on age, high school preparation and performance, college grades, grade point average at the end of each year of study, graduation and academic failure rate, and time taken to complete…

Examines community forces underlying the educational problems of African Americans and other voluntary and involuntary minorities. Community forces differentiate minority groups facing similar barriers in society and in schools. Options created by community forces allow choices of action that result in individual differences in schooling outcome.…

New Standards Project is consortium of 17 states and 6 leading school districts working with cluster of specialists to design and implement system of performance standards, authentic assessments, and professional development aimed at improving educational equity and excellence. New matrix examinations and portfolios will yield results that can be…

The efficacy of small groups in performing school task work was studied for eight groups of Swedish ninth graders (n=35) videotaped in class. Three judges ranked the groups' cooperation. Videotape transcripts were analyzed for directional factors. Three groups functioned well. Directional factors resulting in good group functioning are discussed.…

This theme issue focuses on "creating the library's future" through creative library management. Seven articles provide a variety of perspectives on particular library management styles and approaches to library issues. The planning process, creativity in the work place, and innovations in libraries are discussed. (MAB)

The University of California's (Los Angeles) Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing survey of state assessment directors reveals that about 25 states currently study or develop performance assessments. Obstacles to statewide use of performance assessments were expressed. The new Student Assessment Exchange should…

Discusses factors which influence performance when authoring multimedia instructional materials, including background knowledge, resource accessibility, learning and teaching styles, learning or job setting, access to expertise, performance support, cooperative learning, tutorials, models, online training, and expert guidance. (Contains six…

Discussion of performance assessment focuses on a study that was part of the International Evaluation of Achievement of computer education that tested students in grades 8 and 11 on word processing performance tasks. Results are examined to determine the useability, reliability, and validity of the process. (eight references) (LRW)

A survey of 45 at-risk students enrolled in an alternative rural high school revealed that teachers appeared more concerned about students, were less authoritarian, allowed students more input into decision making, treated students more fairly, and were more enthusiastic than teachers at traditional high schools previously attended by respondents.…

This survey of educators examined validity issues in Arizona's program of authentic assessment of written communication. The paper concludes that authentic measures lack meaningful standards. Major flaws were reported in the areas of "fairness,""transfer and generalizability,""content quality," and…

Examines differences between maternal verbal teaching interactions that facilitate adult transfer of task responsibility as demonstrated by children's improved task performance after a teaching session among low- and high-risk mother-child dyads. (Author/BB)

Relationships between colleague ratings of 29 personality traits and student ratings of teacher effectiveness were studied for 46 faculty members in 6 types of courses ranging from freshman lectures to graduate seminars in a Canadian university's psychology department. Teachers are differentially suited to different course levels because of…