Researchers examined procedures for collecting data on students' competency in two fundamental motor skills, criteria for assessing skill proficiency, and results across several grades. They task-analyzed videotapes of students' performance and determined that most students did not meet criterion expectations associated with an advanced form for…

This article reports on a team effort by faculty from a public school district and an urban university to create an observation tool to be used to evaluate and mentor preservice and inservice teachers' abilities to address issues of classroom diversity. The observation tool is provided, along with implementation suggestions. (Contains references.)…

Drawing from a current study, this article identifies critical issues and challenges for alternative educators and administrators. It contains a list of questions that can be used to identify and address key issues in alternative settings in order to promote successful school experiences for students with and without disabilities. (Contains…

Discusses which kinds of data educators should respect and which they should reject. Asserts that most state accountability tests fail to produce the kinds of data that will improve teaching and learning. Teachers can get the data they need from their own instructionally useful classroom assessments. (WFA)

The article presents a framework for understanding the pragmatic, semantic, syntactic, text, and phonological aspects of language that underlie both oral and written communication. It gives suggestions for ways speech-language pathologists can assess children's language skills that are essential for success in a whole language program. (Author/JDD)

Gender differences in scholastic achievement as a function of measurement method were examined by comparing performance of 739 15-year-old boys and 758 15-year-old girls in Irish high schools on multiple-choice and free-response tests of mathematics, Irish, and English achievement. Method-based gender differences are discussed. (SLD)

The validity of logistic test models and computer simulation methods for generating sampling distributions of item bias statistics was evaluated under the hypothesis of no item bias. Test data from 937 ninth-grade students were used to develop 7 steps for applying computer-simulated baseline statistics in test development. (SLD)

Eleven articles are presented that focus on education about and prevention of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and on the evaluation of programs for AIDS prevention and education. Conceptual and methodological issues are considered, and suggestions are made for accomplishing the goals of AIDS education. (SLD)

This introduction to students with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) covers a historical perspective of these disorders, definitions of ADHD, etiology, behaviors associated with ADD and ADHD, developmental course, identification and assessment, services, classroom interventions, medication…

Discussion of cataloging backlogs in academic libraries focuses on a project at the University of Virginia that used an online catalog to control and reduce a backlog, increase patron access to uncataloged items, and train staff in the creation of online records. Future projects are also discussed. (Contains 14 references.) (LRW)

Presents the results of a study of the reliability of teacher assessment of the oral examination at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) for Modern Languages. Teachers' opinions of different types of marking criteria were collected through semistructured interviews after each teacher had assessed a tape-recorded free conversation task…

Describes the language-arts assessment instrument developed and piloted by a small urban school district that has a high percentage of students learning English as a Second Language. Developing the instrument, training teachers to be scorers, and the actual piloting of the reading and writing portions of the evaluation are detailed. (SLD)

Argues that synergy between computer-based instruction and automated assessment is possible because of the common needs in assessment and instruction; outlines a framework for characterizing performance; and examines procedures developed as part of an ongoing project to develop fully automated scoring of architectural design for a licensing exam.…

Focuses on student organization, preparation, and presentation of simple foods (beverage, brownies, sloppy-joe sandwiches) as a way to apply various mathematical concepts, with problem-solving techniques being central to almost all the activities. Includes reproducible student worksheets. (MKR)

Describes an experience with Do-It-Yourself Placement (DIYP), a procedure to cope with problems arising from a combination of large classes and an emphasis on analytic grammar skills to the neglect of reading and writing skills relevant to the context of study. Obstacles to change in approaches to second-language teaching are discussed. (13…