The New York State Education Department is currently developing an innovative and comprehensive system for teacher certification assessment. One component is the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Performance (ATS-P), a video-based performance assessment for which teachers would prepare and submit a videotape of their instruction for evaluation by…

Relying on estimates of variance explained to assess the practical significance of research findings is now common practice. It is suggested that such estimates can offer an inaccurate picture, often underestimating the practical significance of statistically small effects. As an example, research on employment discrimination indicates that in…

This book is intended to help managers and human resource professionals understand organizational change and manage its effects on their own development and that of their subordinates. The following topics are covered in 11 chapters: organizational change, employee motivation, new managerial roles, human performance systems, upward and peer…

The usefulness of portfolios for professional development and reflection was studied in the disciplines of physical therapy and nursing. The student sample may not represent the larger population of professional students, but data are presented as useful in understanding more about the general phenomenon of use of portfolios in professional…

This packet contains a manual and a workbook for developing performance tests in vocational education. The manual gives an in-depth description of how to develop, score, and use performance tests. It includes the following sections: definitions of performance testing, steps in developing a performance test, selecting a performance development…

As part of an educational needs assessment, a survey was conducted by William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) in Palatine, Illinois, of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) and of administrators at institutions known to employ CNA's. Survey instruments were mailed to two groups. The first group, 153 administrators at institutions employing CNA's, were…

The experiences of two mathematics teachers at a high school in which assessment reform is being encouraged are described. The school district had decided that the implementation of authentic assessment and assessment reform would be levers to broaden school reforms. Observations in the Algebra 2 class of one teacher and the Algebra 1 class of…

Results are now available from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) with its 5 main components, 41 cooperating countries, over 500,000 participants, and coverage of the full spectrum of mathematics and science from grades 4 through 12. American educators, parents, and policy makers have found the results to be both…

"Classroom Assessment" is designed for students taking a first course in classroom assessment and measurement. It shows how assessment principles apply to the full range of teacher decision making, and not just the formal evaluation of student learning. For this reason, the book has been organized in a manner that follows the natural progression…

Throughout 1998, the National Education Goals Panel conducted interviews with policymakers in the states that have made top improvement and performance on indicators of progress toward the national education goals. State officials told the story behind the data and what they consider to be the reasons for their success. Their stories are intended…

This report of the California State Postsecondary Education Commission discusses standardized testing at the higher education level in California and is comprised of three parts. Part 1 describes six tests related to undergraduate admission, placement, and financial assistance. Part 2 describes five tests required by graduate programs and…

The Mississippi Teacher Assessment Instruments (MTAIs) contain 16 teaching competencies (14 competencies measured by 3 separate instruments of the MTAI, and 2 performance standards assessed by the local district). The Teaching Plans and Materials MTAI guides assessment of beginning teachers' competence in planning instruction, selecting…

An evaluation of the first year of the Carver Latin Grammar Magnet Elementary School (CLG) in Kansas City, Missouri, is reported. Students are required to sign a contract and agree to adhere to criteria regarding conduct, to maintain high levels of academic performance, and to wear uniforms. The program is evaluated in terms of enrollment goals…

Three years of implementation of the D. M. Pinkerton Latin Grammar Magnet Elementary School in Kansas City, Missouri, are evaluated in terms of enrollment and program capacity, implementation, perceptions, and achievement. Findings suggest progress toward theme-related goals, significant progress toward achievement goals, and less progress toward…

A study of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) showed that the RRB was only a microcosm of the problem of unprepared workers being experienced by employers nationwide. Implementing basic skills programs was found to be crucial because corporations and government agencies, like the RRB, found the labor pool to be poorly educated. Research on…