Reports on ERIC references pertinent to the assessment of prior learning and experiential learning and the measurement of student progress in cooperative education programs. (Author/JDS)

One law teacher uses writing assignments in a domestic relations course to teach the law, teach students how to think, and teach how to begin a legal task when it is not clear where to start. Students draft a petition for a dissolution and a letter to a client advising of the likely property settlement. (MSE)

Marking strategies used in the Danish school system from the compulsory Folkeskole level through higher education are described, with emphasis on "the 13-Scale." Problems, impacts, recent developments, and trends in marking strategies and the communication of their meaning are discussed. (BS)

Grades should be a way for teachers and students to communicate about student performance. Using grades to rank and sort is detrimental to learning and to the development of a stimulating and supportive academic climate. (Author)

Asserts that Black education in South Africa is inferior in every way, the result of apartheid. In a 1983-84 study of the reasons for poor academic performance in Blacks' schools, students blame the situation on the following: (1) teachers; (2) themselves; (3) the facilities and equipment; (4) unfair marking; (5) poor home conditions; and (6)…

Examines the history, magnitude, causes, consequences, and remedies of grade inflation. Predicts the erosion of professional autonomy and academic freedom if schools abandon the task of conscientiously assessing what students have learned and external agencies take on the task. (DMM)

Discusses process of continuous assessment that involves many tutors grading papers at Great Britain's Open University and the problem of grade unreliability within such a system. A longitudinal experiment involving grading of papers in one course by all tutors and comparing their grades to determine grading reliability is described. (MBR)

Student promotion or retention is determined by various criteria: grades, student performance, competency tests, attendance records, and conduct. Representative court decisions bearing on each of the criteria are discussed, and guidelines for the development of promotion and retention policy are outlined. (MD)

Recent changes in the objectives and techniques of testing India's university students are examined, including trends toward continuous rather than biennial or annual evaluation; internal (institutional) rather than external, standardized examinations; replacement of essay exams with more objective methods; and a letter grading system. (MSE)

In the 18 years since the founding of the University of California, Santa Cruz, America's youth have turned from long hair to pin-striped careerism. UCSC made the transition with the help of an image overhaul emphasizing its mix of idealistic educational philosophy and rigorous undergraduate courses. (MLW)

The author argues that scoring, reporting, and deriving final grades can be considerably assisted by using a computer. He also contends that the savings in time and the computer database formed will allow instructors to determine test quality and reflect on the quality of instruction. (BW)

This study examines the effect of grading standards on student ratings of instruction. After a grading treatment, the ratings of students in the experimental group changed to reflect more negative perceptions of instruction. These shifts were statistically significant in seven of the ten rating items. (Author/PN)

Discusses the use of holistic evaluation, the use of rubrics and checklists, peer evaluation, and small group peer evaluation as means of making writing evaluation effective while keeping the paper load manageable. (FL)

A point system was introduced in two advanced courses in Spanish in order to provide more individualized instruction. Students who were weak in written or spoken Spanish at the beginning of the semester could compensate by doing extra work; more advanced students could contract to do more sophisticated projects. (Author/RM)

Situated Attainment (SA) is a within-class concept that allows the exploration of why teachers award some students higher or lower grades than their intelligence might warrant. A student's SA is operationally defined as the difference in ranks between the grade awarded by the teacher and the student's intelligence quotient (IQ). For this initial…