The speaking ability of 40 Finnish college students of English as a Second Language was assessed in tests of interactional and transactional language function. In the interactional test, the learner introduced a topic of his choice and attempted to converse with two native speakers of English. In the transactional test, the learner watched a video…

After providing background on Title 5 regulations that upgraded standards of rigor for degree-applicable credit courses offered by California community colleges, this report presents revisions to course standards regulations for nondegree credit, noncredit, and grade point averaging. An analysis of the revisions is included, indicating that: (1)…

This study was intended to establish "base-line" data with respect to teacher utilization of available microcomputer software for the purposes of: (1) generating teacher-made appraisals; (2) scoring/analyzing teacher-made appraisals; and (3) assigning and recording grades. Differences in reported utilization at the K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 grade levels…

This resource book contains 10 articles on specific aspects of writing assessment. Article one addresses several key issues, among them (1) whether writing should be taught from a traditional analytic approach or from the "writing-as-a-process" perspective, (2) whether writing ability can be judged indirectly or only by actual performance, and (3)…

To test the applicability of multidimensional ratings of writing effectiveness that are amenable to normal classroom usage, all grade 7 students (N=139) from one suburban school (Sydney, Australia) wrote a brief essay. Master and student teachers evaluated all the essays according to overall effectiveness of written expression and according to…

A handbook for graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Southern Mississippi is presented. General information is provided on GTA supervision, instructor absences, GTA obligations, the office and supplies, and the university's sexual harassment policy. A section on the first day of class covers: the…

The Postsecondary Education Transcript File of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS-72) is a machine-readable data file containing information on transcripts from NLS-72 senior cohort members who reported attending a postsecondary institution after high school. Records were obtained from all types of educational…

A study examined the effectiveness of a collaborative learning model for the teaching of a modern English grammar class at the college level. The model involved student presentations based on the explanation of material from assigned readings in the texts; daily quizzes on the material from the assigned reading; and peer grading of the daily…

This report, based on a mailed survey of institutions that were members of the National University Continuing Education Association during 1985-86, includes data from 66 responding institutions, including colleges and high schools. This report is organized in six parts. The first part outlines the total program scope, including enrollment and…

Revised guidelines for the administration of Texas bilingual education and English as a second language (ESL) programs for limited-English-proficient (LEP) public school students deal with two issues: (1) the amount of instructional time to be provided in the student's primary language and in English, and (2) the relationship between instruction…

Focusing on the teacher in the problems basic writers experience, a study analyzed the written interaction between a teacher and basic writers, culled from a larger ethnographic study of one freshman composition class. The purpose was to characterize the mode of discourse within a communicative exchange called "theme-ing," which begins…

To study the responses of school administrators to classroom testing and problems associated with it, practicing principals were presented with a case study. The case contained information on a district-wide report outlining inconsistencies in teachers' evaluation practices and a parental complaint about the evaluation practices of a staff member.…

The validity of grades given by secondary school teachers was studied. Two teacher-originated measures of performance and one independent standardized measure of achievement were examined. The teacher-originated grades were final examination grades (FINALs) and end of the semester marks (MARKs) for over 40 courses at all secondary levels. The…

A study was conducted at the University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland) in the Fall 1985 15-week semester to test the effects of advanced knowledge of grading criteria on students' writing skills and attitudes in a Freshman Composition class. A holistic grading scale, which was distributed to students as a checklist for revising writing…

Institutional research reports produced at the 23 colleges in the Virginia Community College System are listed in this bibliography for the academic year 1976-77. The 118 studies are listed in three sections. Section I provides annotations for studies selected on the basis of their anticipated interest, study design quality, narrative sections on…