Authentic testing, consisting mainly of the three P's (performance, portfolios, and products) must be evaluated in light of practicalities and usage context. This article reviews British experience with standard assessment tasks (SATs), concentrating on issues pertaining to technical adequacy, efficiency, manageability, standardization,…

Thirty-two subjects (5 Broca's, 7 conduction, and 10 anomic aphasics and 10 normal controls) performed story retell and procedural discourse tasks containing familiar and unfamiliar topics, with familiar and unfamiliar listeners. Results indicated that topic familiarity significantly influenced verbal output in both normal and aphasic subjects.…

Preschoolers; second, fourth, and sixth graders; and university students were asked to interpret videotapes in which an actor conveyed contradictory verbal and facial expressions with and without a story context that provided a reason for the contradiction. Findings revealed age and context effects. (RH)

Based on a University of Tokyo/Stanford University study, this article examines the context surrounding teachers' professional lives. Preliminary findings indicate similarities and differences in teacher perceptions of roles and responsibilities, institutional contexts, use of time, and professional development activities. Japanese teachers work…

Evaluators using a naturalistic orientation observe a teacher's performance within the context of other lessons and interactions, view teacher observation and evaluation as processes rather than outcomes, and see events from the teacher's perspective. Principals can increase objectivity by recognizing the effects of their attitudes and experiences…

When assessing a staff development program, several factors must be considered, including improvement in student outcomes, content and quality of the staff development program, and organizational climate and culture. Specific suggestions for evaluating program influences on participants, students, and the organization are offered. A multifaceted…

Analyzes multiple components of planning, including problem representation, goal selection, a decision to plan, strategy choice, strategy execution, and monitoring. Analyzes three tasks typically used to study planning: the Tower of Hanoi; errand scheduling; and story comprehension. Argues that the components required to perform a planning task…

Analysis of aggregate- and individual-level data for a national sample of white women suggest that adolescent nonmarital sexual activity and contraceptive use are shaped by the local opportunity structure and normative environment. Social disintegration, socioeconomic status, and availability of employment opportunities for women emerged as…

Some of the confusion surrounding evaluations of case management results from lack of clarity about value frames used to arrive at judgments of the merit of case management. Six value frames commonly applied to human service evaluation are reviewed, and the relevance of each perspective is examined. (SLD)

Results indicate that curvilinear trend in children's understanding of word "big" is not obtained in all stimulus contexts. This suggests that meaning and use of "big" is complex, and may not refer simply to larger objects in a set. Proposes that meaning of "big" constitutes a dynamic system driven by many perceptual,…

By interpreting several historical poems, paintings, and songs, students can construct complex conceptions of broad historical contexts in which the primary sources developed. Excerpts are provided from a study involving student interpretations of various narratives, songs, or folktales created by enslaved African Americans in the…

Presents results of a study examining the comparative effects of school (system) determinants on the educational careers of minority students in the Netherlands, drawing on rational choice and empowerment theories. Results indicate the importance of a school policy aimed at improving minority student achievement. Pull-out programs are detrimental,…

Outcomes are high-quality, culminating demonstrations of significant learning in context. The High Success Network uses the "Demonstration Mountain" to differentiate among three major "learning zones" and six different forms of learning demonstrations that increase in complexity, generalizability, and significance, along with…

Discusses influence of school context on effective schooling, based on observations at four Australian high schools. Generic school improvement characteristics and processes assume different meanings in practice; these meanings are shaped by school's response to particular circumstances and environmental challenges. Response has implications for…

Synthesizes evidence from three independent studies of conditions fostering organizational learning in schools conducted in different contexts, but using comparable methods. The purpose was to identify such conditions from state, district, and school sources, relying on qualitative data from 111 teachers in 14 schools. Collegial atmosphere and…