A new standard setting method, Mapmark, was recently developed by ACT Inc. in the course of a contract with the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) to set achievement levels for the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Grade 12 mathematics. Mapmark includes elements of the bookmark method (Lewis, Mitzel, & Green, 1996;…

This book is designed to assist evaluators of nonformal education (NFE) and adult education programs in their continuing professional education and in the task of improving their capacities for genuinely formative, informative, and participatory assessment of educational practice. Fourteen chapters are organized into five sections. Section 1…

It is increasingly clear that even the best schools must engage in systematic and continuous appraisal of their performance, in partnership with the community. A joint planning process could start by engaging citizens in identifying critical issues, relevant assets, and key strategies that can move the community toward a preferred future. Chapter…

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…

Presents survey results that reveal that most political science departments have clearly defined systems of summative teaching evaluation. These systems, however, lack diversity. Most rely solely on student assessment and use this primarily to identify potential problems. Recommends adopting more flexible and constructive approaches. (MJP)

Reports on a pilot study designed to assess the potential of computer-marked tests for allowing students to monitor their learning. Students' answers to multiple choice tests were fed into a computer that provided a full analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. Students responded favorably to the feedback. (MJP)

Research and theory on teaching the writing process is not being widely implemented in public school classrooms. Changes such as a greater emphasis on process in college composition classes and language arts methodology courses as well as careful selection of supervising teachers, inservice programs, and revamping of writing evaluation are needed.…

Three college instructors, teaching very different content (management, political science, and literature) and using classroom assessment techniques (CATs), compared the results. All found that CATs contributed to self-reflection, that designing CATs helps faculty focus on course and class goals, and that responding to CATs requires students to…

A formative evaluation of computer conferences for 100 preservice teachers over five semesters examined why and how students participated, focusing on grading system, grouping, collaboration, relevance, learner control, and technological preparation. Student conference messages and postcourse surveys from the first and last semesters were examined…

Teacher quality, however defined, is usually seen as the responsibility of schools of education. Rarely is it viewed as the responsibility of academic departments in the arts and sciences--that part of college or university where prospective teachers study the academic content they will draw on as teachers. Only recently has teacher quality come…

This article presents a model of formative task-based language assessment implemented in the Chinese language program at the University of Iowa. The model was conceptualized from both empirical evidence, namely previous research done by other team members and me, and assessment theory, namely task-based learning and testing. Our formative…

Online delivery methods offer much promise for anytime, anywhere adult learning. As a method of outreach, and to provide support for just-in-time learning, teacher educators are increasingly deciding to design Web sites that are online, resource-based learning environments for teachers and preservice teachers. Automated evaluation tools and data…

In 2005 an existing undergraduate course in project management was converted from face-to-face mode to wholly online mode. Wholly online mode means that there are no face-to-face classes at all, and all teaching and learning is facilitated through an online environment. The revised project management course was designed with an underlying…

This article reports the findings of a six-year project to involve pupils systematically in the pre-service education of secondary school teachers. The project, developed in the partnership between an English university and local schools, involves structured discussions between school pupils and student teachers during the practical teaching phase…

This article outlines the results of an issues-based study conducted over a 12-month period that investigated how the systematic inclusion of teachers within the design, operationalization and implementation of an online curriculum development project in Florida led simultaneously to teachers' own professionalizing in areas of education they were…