There have been few discoveries in geology more important than "deep time"--the understanding that the universe has existed for countless millennia, such that man's existence is confined to the last milliseconds of the metaphorical geological clock. The influence of deep time is felt in a variety of sciences including geology, cosmology,…

A meta-analysis of 50 studies was conducted to investigate whether juvenile delinquents use lower levels of moral judgment than their nondelinquent age-mates and, if so, what factors may influence or moderate the developmental delay. The results show a lower stage of moral judgment for juvenile delinquents (d = 0.76). Effect sizes were large for…

The technology of brief experimental analysis is just beginning to be used for identification of effective treatments for individual students who experience difficulty with oral reading fluency. In this study, the effect of a reading fluency treatment package was examined on easy and hard passages, and generalization was assessed on passages with…

Words Work! is an approach to improving literacy outcomes for children through teacher development and parent engagement. In this article the authors describe the pilot phase of the project. The staff at Words Work! created an assessment system that aligns curriculum with assessment and collection of student data and teacher planning. Teachers use…

Prescriptive writings on performance evaluation have argued that splitting the administrative (summative) and developmental (formative) roles will lead to evaluatees being less defensive and more open to discussing performance problems and taking suggestions, and that without the responsibility for making an administrative evaluation, evaluators…

The new "Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools" identifies complex instructional activities and student performance, and requires new assessment methods to reveal that performance. One of the goals of the California Assessment Collaborative (CAC) is to study the effects of local assessment development and implementation…

One of the main obstacles to effective faculty evaluation is the inability to reach consensus on the evaluation's intended purpose. On one hand, faculty evaluation has a formative purpose, supporting faculty development, growth, and self-improvement, while it also has a summative purpose in that it provides data to make personnel decisions on…

One method for assessing teacher performance is the teacher portfolio. This is a collection of work produced by a teacher to highlight and demonstrate his or her knowledge and skills in teaching. A portfolio also provides a means for reflection and an opportunity to critique one's own work and evaluate one's own effectiveness as a teacher. Rather…

This manual was developed as part of the New England Center Pilot Project (NECPP), a 3-year federally funded program focusing on the inclusion of young children with deaf-blindness within regular educational programs in Massachusetts. The NECPP provides consultation during transition to inclusive programs and offers technical assistance, staff…

Validity evidence was determined for an instrument used at a state university to measure student perception of the institutionally stressed importance of various professional traits and his/her performance of these traits. Subjects were 87 preservice teachers at the end of student teaching. Scores from the institutionally stressed importance…

Teachers commonly use only two types of assessment--written examinations that test basic skills and direct observation of student learning. Both assessment procedures have been the subject of intense criticism. This study was conducted to investigate the viability of the portfolio model for authentic assessment of student growth, to analyze…

This report outlines key issues and provides a baseline for an examination of the progress of states, districts, and schools toward realizing the objectives of the restructured Title I program. The fundamental goal of the new Title I is to help children who are at risk of school failure improve their academic achievement. The National Assessment…

In an effort to meet the accrediting criteria of the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges, South Carolina Technical College undertook a comprehensive external evaluation of its continuing education program. Both process and products associated with the continuing education program were assessed using newly-generated and existing data.…

A discussion of the use of portfolios for teacher evaluation reviews common uses of portfolios in higher education and offers suggestions for portfolio construction. It is noted that portfolios are frequently used for evaluation of both learner and teacher performance, as a means of documenting an individual's capabilities and skills. Some…

British editors and authors have applied Jim Cummins' creative ideas in various settings in British schools, by using a novel technique of curriculum related assessment with bilingual children. Articles in five chapters demonstrate the flexibility, promise, and limitations of this technique. Articles include: "The Development of a Model of…