This guide provides introductory information on developmental and cultural issues that may affect evaluation of culturally and linguistically diverse children for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Although much of the information in this document may be useful for determining instruction and…

150 female graduate students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were interviewed. Since most students are not proficient in English, they are required to take an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course when admitted to the M.A. and Ph.D. programs, as locating information in specialized journals is required for their assignments, term…

Analyzed statewide elementary and secondary school data from the Kansas Writing Assessment to examine the effects on student writing performance of student choice of topic and teacher choice (related to extent of engagement and amount of time allowed for writing processes). Results find the effect of choice is negligible, though it promotes good…

Describes a library-based assignment planned collaboratively between a history teacher and high school librarian that focused on the Internet and problem based learning (PBL). Highlights include the planning process; the California SCORE History-Social Science Web site; role playing; information literacy; student research and presentations; and…

This article discusses principles for intervention with young children who have hearing impairments. It covers the nature of hearing loss; diagnosis and types of hearing impairments; sensory aids; and benefits and limitations of different approaches including the auditory-verbal, auditory-oral, cued speech, total communication, American Sign…

Suggests that much of the research on middle level education is weak, sparse, and inconclusive. Presents critiques of research and an overview of the research findings of several highly-rated middle level programs. Identifies four factors contributing to the problem, specifically: an insufficient number of studies, utilization of weak research…

As Western educators help Central and Eastern European institutions develop programs in business and economics education, five areas require attention: (1) team teaching by local and Western faculty; (2) coordination between host and Western institutions; (3) institution building; (4) careful selection and preparation of faculty to provide…

Performance-based, contextual assessments can highlight the academic and personal strengths of students that may be overlooked or judged pathological by traditional psychometric measures. This case study of a 10-year-old African American male special-education student illustrates how portfolio assessment improved the perception of his academic…

Reports the results of a case study of home computing use in an Open University (Great Britain) multimedia course. The use of student questionnaires and journals is described; and student attitudes about relating new information to existing knowledge, retention, transfer of knowledge, the need for reference materials, and time spent are discussed.…

Current and likely future national policy and procedures for British university program evaluation are discussed, including assessments undertaken at different levels of governance. Issues in the national debate over assessment and accountability are enumerated and illustrated in the case of the University of Brighton. Persistent difficulties in…

A study investigated general and vocational skills of 32 British business undergraduates before and after their field experiences, as perceived by the students and their employers. Although the parties agree that some skill development occurred during field experience, substantial discrepancies between student and employer perceptions of actual…

Describes problem-based learning (PBL) as an alternative to internships in Environmental Health Education. Discusses teaching strategies, case study problem set development, and evaluation techniques applicable to PBL. Presents an overview of small group structures for cooperative learning, a list of learning resources, and a flow chart indicating…

An empirical test of a method of teacher evaluation by predicting student performance and comparing it with actual outcomes is described. Results from 6,249 urban fifth graders in 103 schools suggest that teachers can be evaluated in this way and that the best and worst teachers can be identified. (SLD)

A method of student evaluation of preclerkship clinical medical teaching used at the University of Toronto (Canada) is described. The method has a high response rate, yields data on individual teacher effectiveness and course content coverage, is stable over time, and has been well received by students and faculty. (MSE)

Maintains that the standardized teacher/course evaluation form has become a ritual at virtually every major U.S. university. Argues that many good teachers are unrewarded, ineffective ones win prizes, and the evaluation process is a means of monitoring political orthodoxy. (CFR)