An approach to public-management instruction based on the classroom use of work groups or teams is described. Conditions conducive to high performance teamwork, a model team-learning instructional activity sequence, team selection and group dynamics, the reward or grading system, use of mini-tests, application-oriented activities, and peer…

A national survey of elementary and secondary general education teachers (n=368, response rate of 52%) examined classroom grading practices, including grading adaptations for students with disabilities. Results indicated that teachers found certain adaptations (pass-fail grades, portfolios, multiple grades, and grading for effort) useful for…

One college teacher's approach to writing instruction focuses on grading to encourage learning, using a marking system that clarifies distinctions between content and mechanics, and removes the punitive aspect of grading. The system is rewarding and motivational for both students and teacher. In addition, the course includes individual…

Presents techniques that in the author's experience have helped middle-school students produce better, more original work. Alternative formats to the traditional report project, clear assignment criteria, a grading rubric, and instruction in visual communication are all valuable. A model with which teachers can reduce plagiarism and promote…

In this article, the author discusses the purpose of grades from a perspective based on the fundamental educational psychology assessment principle of validity--the validity of what learning is being assessed and the validity of the communication of that assessment to others. He believes most teachers fail to give grades to students that are as…

Some professors argue that it is possible to "buy" higher course evaluations by grading more leniently and requiring less work. This study investigated the relations of student effort, appropriateness of class difficulty, and course evaluations with a sample of 463 undergraduates from a mid-sized, Midwestern university. Findings support…

Whether in the science or language laboratory, carrying out health care procedures or demonstrating performance arts, faculty can improve skill evaluation through transparency and authenticity in exam construction, format, and grading.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether teachers perceived Florida's high-stakes testing program to be taking public schools in the right direction. More importantly, we sought to understand "why" teachers perceived the tests to be taking schools in the right or wrong direction. Based on the survey results of 708 teachers,…

General math students--the first quartile in math--are having trouble passing the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL), and there are several reasons why: (1) They have poor math skills and not much aptitude; (2) They never see all of the needed curriculum; (3) Their learning style directly conflicts with the organizational patterns in…

In this article I build on the review of research by Black and Wiliam which provided extensive evidence of the role of assessment for learning for raising standards in pupils' attainment. The purpose of the present empirical study was to explore the extent to which science teachers use assessment for learning practices when they teach physics…

Developed and put together by the Department of Humanities at Umpqua Community College (UCC) in Roseburg, Oregon, this booklet is intended to clarify (for students, faculty, staff, advisers, and community) the specific function and scope of the writing courses offered in the department. The booklet offers an overview of the department's general…

This report provides information on the education system of Rwanda, and is designed to assist college admissions officers and registrars in the United States with the admission and placement of students from that country. The report contains general information on the geography, people, and history of Rwanda, as well as more specific information…

Conventional grading is so ubiquitous that it is tempting to see it as inevitable and to feel hopeless about making any changes. It is often not reliable nor does it have clear meaning. Also, it does not give students feedback about what they did well or badly. Even while operating under a conventional grading system, composition teachers can use…

This study investigates the content and coding systems of kindergarten and first grade report cards from 57 Connecticut school districts. Report cards differed among districts in number of items, emphasis on curriculum areas and learning dimensions, and coding systems. Kindergarten report cards were more likely to emphasize discrete skills and…

Most educational measurement texts distinguish between norm-referenced (NR), or relative, methods of assigning letter grades to objective test scores, and criterion-referenced (CR), or absolute, methods. Both NR and CR approaches have serious limitations in typical classroom situations, and neither approach, in its pure form, may be entirely…