A study investigated the use of manipulatives-based mathematics tasks as an alternative method for assessing young Hispanic students with limited English proficiency. Students (n=45) from kindergarten and grades 2 and 3 were administered 14 manipulatives-based tasks. Each task was retested over a period of 2-3 weeks. Task performance was scored on…

Because traditional performance measures may not accurately assess what students learn or are taught, some K-12 classroom teachers, states, and teacher preparation programs are beginning to use portfolio assessment to document learning and growth in learning over time. Portfolio assessment is considered a more authentic way of evaluating and…

This monograph explores practical and theoretical issues in use of case studies for college faculty to reflect on and improve instruction. Six chapters: (1) describe teaching case studies, with an overview of how and why they are used; (2) explore the rationale for their use within the frameworks of scholarship and professional development; (3)…

This report, the first in a series of six, was developed during Phase II of California's Educational Technology Programs. School-based educational technology projects that were assessed for the study were funded in 1989-90 and implemented in 1990-91. The results from the following staff-developed assessment instruments and evaluation procedures…

This paper reviews the research and attempts to identify instructional techniques and settings to promote generalization of appropriate work-related social behavior in individuals with mental retardation. First, it provides a definition of transition and discusses the importance of training for generalization, discrimination, and maintenance.…

A collection of essays on teaching linguistically diverse student populations includes: "Linguistic Diversity and Academic Achievement" (Beverly McLeod); "The Impact of the Education Reform Movement on Limited English Proficient Students" (Patricia Gandara); "The Role of Discourse in Learning, Schooling, and Reform" (Hugh Mehan); "The Values of a…

This volume contains 36 articles on education taken from a wide array of magazines, newspapers, and journals in the public press appearing between 1992 and 1994. Unit 1 contains six articles that discuss the importance of a multi-cultural curriculum in sensitizing students to an integrated world society. Unit 2 contains four selections that…

This paper discusses ways that teachers have found to integrate curriculum and make it more meaningful to students. A review of the literature reveals that teachers are exploring ways to provide developmentally appropriate curriculum and opportunities for children to learn in a more natural setting. Three approaches are examined: whole language,…

As the negative effects of traditional approaches to the problems of at-risk students have become known, several promising new trends have been recognized. First among these is the belief that all students benefit from raised expectations. A curriculum that builds on the knowledge and strengths students bring to school can capitalize on the…

The impact of the changing macroecological characteristics of cities on school performance is explored, and what can be done to reduce the achievement shortcomings among urban students from ethnic and language minority backgrounds is considered. The increase in residential segregation and thereby educational segregation in urban schools is as much…

This booklet was designed to assist elementary schools in developing and implementing strategies for program continuity. Chapter 1 provides an overview of theories of program continuity, discussing the concepts of continuity and integration. Chapter 2 considers ways in which teachers can promote program continuity in class. The chapter begins with…

A study was conducted to determine the effects of testing on teaching and learning, focusing on standardized norm-referenced tests. A questionnaire was administered to 85 kindergarten through grade 12 teachers from a large urban school district who were attending a teacher leadership workshop. Fifty-five respondents were from elementary schools,…

An evaluation of a school reform project in one kindergarten through grade 5 school in Atlanta (Georgia) is presented to demonstrate how triangulation of qualitative and quantitative evaluation approaches can enhance understanding of a reform effort. During the 1991-92 school year, the final year of the project, Fowler Drive Elementary School…

This monograph describes the program of the Language and Cognitive Development Center (Massachusetts), which serves toddlers and school-aged children with autism or other pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). An introduction presents incidence figures, the program's philosophy, the program's approach to assessment, intervention with children…

The Thinking Mathematics project, a joint effort of the American Federation of Teachers and the Learning Research and Development Center, had the primary objective of developing more efficient means of disseminating new knowledge about mathematics learning and instruction. The resulting practitioner-researcher collaboration developed an…