With escalating tuitions, the return to college quality remains an important consideration for students deciding whether to spend more money for a higher quality college education. This paper examines how students that transfer credit for an introductory-level course perform in a subsequent intermediate-level course. Using rich administrative data…

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) School-Based Coaching: A Revolution in Professional Development--or Just the Latest Fad? (Alexander Russo); (2) Fluency Tests Help Identify Struggling…

The Data Quality Campaign is a national, collaborative effort to encourage and support state policymakers to improve the collection, availability and use of high-quality education data and to implement state longitudinal data systems to improve student achievement. The campaign aims to provide tools and resources that will assist state development…

The Data Quality Campaign is a national, collaborative effort to encourage and support state policymakers to improve the collection, availability and use of high-quality education data and to implement state longitudinal data systems to improve student achievement. The campaign aims to provide tools and resources that will assist state development…

Analysis of the relationship between number of published articles and student ratings was undertaken for two large and diverse faculty groups. Elements of teacher effectiveness studied included course value, student-faculty interaction, course organization, communication, materials, course difficulty and workload, and tests. Only in the social…

A course in pharmacy administration principles at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy taught by Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) was found to produce generally favorable student evaluation of course and instructor. Examples of instructional unit objectives are provided. (Author/MLW)

Twenty-five junior high school mathematics teachers and 25 English teachers who taught in both higher- and lower-ability class sections were observed during the school year in order to examine any differences in instructional behavior which might occur between the two classes. (Author/MP)

An experimental MBA at Southern Methodist University is described in which the primary learning experience for students involves live projects with business organizations in the local community. A summary of results from research conducted on this program is presented, showing the comparative effectiveness of this program with a traditional one.…

Summarizes a study which identified 911 effective and ineffective behaviors of secondary business law teachers as perceived by their students and from these behaviors derived 90 requirements for successful teacher performance. Also determined the independence of these behaviors to teacher characteristics, external factors, and student…

Ninety-six high-achieving fourth graders performed a memory task before which either positive or negative expectancy statements were made by an adult and after which either positive or negative feedback statements were given. For high IQ children, performance was higher for discrepant combinations of expectancy-feedback. (Author/MH)

How to identify and measure educational quality pervades American education. The Higher Education Research Institute and the Council on Learning launched a study to identify broad quality indicators, particularly at the undergraduate level. Peer groups and indices of selectivity are among the facets used to measure quality of education. (MLW)

Six factors which influence carryover of innovative teaching methods (learned in teacher education programs) to elementary schools were studied. Lack of college instruction in organizing and managing the classroom for small group and individualized mathematics instruction was the main reason for not implementing the innovations learned in college…

Describes a popular seventh-grade mathematics project that involves house plans. Students choose house plans from books, transfer the plan to grid paper, and stake out the floor plan on a vacant area of the neighborhood. Project includes designing dream homes, researching jobs to afford their homes, and discussion of real-life concerns. (PVD)

Argues that statewide performance based assessments are a waste of time and money and can discourage students. After describing problems with performance based assessment in several states, the paper suggests that it is more important to restore students' respect for and interest in education by offering challenging curricula rather than dull…

A survey of 436 faculty at one university concerning usefulness of student ratings of teaching found little resistance to ratings in general or their use in faculty evaluation. Usefulness of feedback was viewed differentially, with feedback on interaction with students seen as most useful, followed by feedback on grading practices, global ratings…