Explores teachers' conceptions about assessment and their actual assessment practices. Uses a chi-square to examine the relationships between grade level and teachers' conceptions and grade level and teachers' practices. Researchers found several significant differences, transcending an indication of relationship by chance. (Author/CCM)

The Word Writing CAFE is a new assessment tool designed for teachers to evaluate objectively students' word-writing ability for fluency, accuracy, and complexity. It is designed to be given to the whole class at one time. This article describes the development of the CAFE and provides directions for administering and scoring it. The author also…

This report is a follow-up to "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades" (Williams, Kirst, Haertel, et al., 2010). That study specified a comprehensive set of actionable practices that differentiated higher academic achievement among 303 middle grades schools in California. In doing so, the study provided a compelling and coherent account of…

Recent studies of the relationship between teacher preparation pathways and student achievement have resulted in similar statistics but contradictory conclusions. These studies as a group have several limits: they sometimes focus on student-level indicators when many policy decisions are made with indicators at the school-level or above, are…

Clinicians use a common practice of reporting age or grade equivalent derived scores, but problems of interpretation exist for such scores. This article examines derived comparison score issues and recommends use of scores of relative standing such as percentile ranks or standard scores in contrast to use of developmental scores like age and grade…

In November 1987, the superintendent of a major urban public school system (Philadelphia) publicized the district's decision to convert junior high schools (grades 7-8-9) into middle schools (grades 5/6-7-8). The superintendent's decision was based on several factors related to grade organizational structure, including (1) the district's already…

Test wiseness was examined with respect to grade differences, grade by sex interaction, and stability. Stem-options, similar-options, and specific-determiners were included. Results indicated significant increases on test wiseness in four of five cases, no sex by grade interaction, and test wiseness as a stable characteristic over the grade levels…

Teachers try something new - trading classes for a day. (Editor)

ARGUMENTS ARE PRESENTED IN FAVOR OF THE RECENT PROPOSAL BY THE AUTHOR THAT THE NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM CHANGE ITS PRESENT ORGANIZATION OF JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS TO INCLUDE THE SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH GRADES IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND GRADES 9 THRU 12 IN THE COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL. IT IS HELD THAT THE PLAN WOULD BE MUCH MORE…

Despite the fact that the middle school has frequently come into being for noneducational reasons, many educators maintain that if a new school system could be organized from "scratch" with nothing but educational desiderata to guide its creators, the middle school would be the foundational arch of the system. This report analyzes and describes…

The plight of Latin studies in American schools is exposed in the introductory remarks in this paper. Personalized approaches to instruction are discussed, and the author enumerates ways in which the classics may be used to arouse the aesthetic sensitivities of children. Teachers are urged to try to make Latin relevant to the needs and interests…

This study reviews the educational background and needs of the immigrant Canadian student. His social origins are considered in a discussion of the diversity of ethnic background and educational experience which the group reflects. Remarks concerning bilingual education favor the maintenance and strengthening of existing bilingual programs. The…

Administered two sociometric measures to 463 second-, and fourth-, and sixth-graders from which 179 pupils were sociometrically identified as populars, rejecteds, neglecteds, and controversials. These subjects were subsequently administered the Purdue Elementary Problem Solving Inventory. Found significant differences in interpersonal…