An evaluation of the 1980-90 employment projections in the "Occupational Outlook Handbook" shows that most of them were on target, if somewhat conservative. The impact of technology was generally underestimated. (JOW)

The Texas Teacher Appraisal System (TTAS) permits formal formative evaluation in which observable behavior data are used for self-renewal by the teacher and summative evaluation in which administrative action for promotion purposes may be pursued. This article addresses basic TTAS components, focusing on the provision of collaborative…

Discusses confirmative evaluation of instructional materials and learners that completes a cycle of evaluative steps to maintain performance standards of an instructional system. Formative and summative evaluation procedures for learners and instructional materials are described, examples of confirmative evaluation are given, and types of…

The assessment of students' work falls into two categories: formative assessment whose aims are to inform students of their progress throughout a course of study, and summative assessment, usually taken at the end of a module or program and provides marks or grades for progression to the next stage in education. Examines the process of curriculum…

Although the process of integrating institutional research into professional practice is still in a formative stage, we have learned some lessons from our experience.

This explores the constructivist understanding that shared practitioner research in collaborative online spaces leads to deeper learning. The research was developed within the context of building the National College of School Leaderships (NCSLs) online learning communities. A community and a learning scale, both emerging through grounded…

Problem-solving is one of the main goals in science teaching and is something many students find difficult. This research reports on the development, implementation and evaluation of a problem-solving heuristic. This heuristic intends to help students to understand the steps involved in problem solving (metacognitive tool), and to provide them…

Math teachers from across the country, already facing enormous pressure to raise scores on high-stakes tests, should embrace other, more creative forms of assessment as a way to improve instruction, peers urge. Assessment, far from being a dirty-word, was a major theme at the annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.…

In this article, the author clarifies formative learning and assessment for persons who are seeking additional ideas for courses, degree programs, or personal career goals. This scholarly review uses published literature to clarify differences between formative and summative assessment and to outline developmental issues that guide constructivist…

Recent discoveries about the role of microorganisms in the establishment of the geological conditions in the planet have lead to the development of courses in Geomicrobiology. Unfortunately, most courses are designed for students with a strong Geology background, which is a limitation for universities that lack such courses. To overcome this…

This dissertation investigated three instructional strategies in developmental math classes to determine if instructional strategy had a positive effect on student achievement, attitude towards mathematics, and anxiety level towards mathematics at a college in western Pennsylvania for students majoring in applied arts. The significance of this…

Useful for small groups or one-on-one instruction, this book offers successful math interventions and response to intervention (RTI) connections. Teachers will learn to target math instruction to struggling students by: (1) Diagnosing weaknesses; (2) Providing specific, differentiated instruction; (3) Using formative assessments; (4) Offering…

The Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education is a 360 assessment of principals' learning-centered leadership behaviors. The instrument was designed to provide formative and summative assessment to principals on the leadership behaviors most important to student learning. The purpose of this report is to describe the standard-setting…

The Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) project is the most comprehensive effort thus far to ascertain which approaches help welfare recipients and other low-income people stay steadily employed and advance in their jobs. Launched in 1999 and slated to end in 2009, the ERA project encompasses more than a dozen demonstration programs and…

There is a need for effective prevention programmes aimed at reducing risk behaviour among South African adolescents. HealthWise South Africa is a school-based programme designed to reduce sexual and substance use risk behaviour, and promote positive use of leisure time among high-school learners (students). Based on successful programmes in the…