This document consists of six issues of a newsletter that provides a forum for the sharing of research findings and instructional strategies by faculty of Western Michigan University. Issue Number 1 addresses writing in the Writing Across the Curriculum Program with notification of a faculty workshop, hints on how to encourage good writing, and a…

The development of a valid measure of academic performance through the application of existing statistical methodology in a new manner was studied. Focus was on analyzing the predictive validity of traditional pre-admissions measures in determining overall academic performance in college. This new criterion, termed a Universal Scale for Grades, is…

A third volume of materials for special education resource specialists is presented concerning the resource specialist room, scheduling and grading, diagnosis and assessment, individualized education program (IEP) development, material selection, and screening. The first section includes diagrams of room arrangements, while the second section…

A study was conducted at Passaic County Community College (PCCC) to investigate the operation of a grading system which utilized an asterisk (*) grade to indicate progress in a course until a letter grade was assigned. The study sought to determine the persistence of students receiving the "*" grade, the incidence of cases of students receiving…

The middle school provides a planned transition from childhood to young adulthood: it moves a student from the protective nurture of elementary school to the more depersonalized high school setting gradually, sensitively, and by design. Composed of the ideas from middle school education that each of the educators who choose this wonderful level of…

Opinions of contract grading were received from 51 undergraduate education majors and 28 graduate students majoring in education in Acadia University (Nova Scotia, Canada). Students at both educational levels reacted to contract grading in a clear and decisivly positive manner. They agreed that the grading system and assignments were made clear…

To remedy the problem of an ineffective homework policy, a Follow Through kindergarten teacher at the George Howland elementary school in Chicago, Illinois, implemented a practicum designed to increase parent involvement with the school. The program designed for the practicum included: (1) regular homework assignments, (2) grading of homework by…

Information on the educational system of the Dominican Republic and guidelines on the placement of Dominican Republic students in U.S. high schools and colleges are presented. After a brief introduction on the country and the basic structure and principles of the educational system, attention is directed to primary and secondary education. The…

This investigation was undertaken to provide insights as to how to improve the quality and relevance of teacher training in grading practices. The study was designed, by looking at grading practices of 15 high school teachers via intensive case study methodology, to explore: (1) the nature and technical quality of assessment and grading practices;…

Ethical bases of the informed consent doctrine are explored relative to how much information students need before they take a course. Such information includes content, grading policies, assignments, course goals, teaching philosophy, and techniques. The major justification of informed consent is autonomy; individuals need adequate information to…

This series of one- and two-page abstracts highlights a variety of innovative approaches to teaching and learning in the community college. Topics covered in the articles include: the use of "trigger films" in group learning situations; letter writing as a means of maintaining group cohesion in a nontraditional classroom; creative grading; the use…

The Test of Standard Written English (TSWE) is a 50-item multiple choice instrument designed to assess the ability of college students to use English. In this study, based upon a sample of 45 students, the TSWE was revalidated with writing samples. The coefficient of 0.54 was most impressive given that the TSWE scores were restricted to those…

A broadcast internship program at the University of Missouri at St. Louis has established prerequisites such as a declared major in speech, a resume, and a transcript of all previous college work. For the course, students must write their own learning objectives before the internship begins and a projected calendar of their working hours. They…

Chapter 1 of this monograph dealing with basic physical education instruction programs traces the history of physical education in colleges and universities from 1885 to 1985. Physical education programs became strongly entrenched within the higher education curriculum with the sanction of college administrators who recognized a responsibility to…