This bulletin is an examination of the practices and procedures for the administration of a merit salary policy as part of the teacher compensation program. It analyzes the procedures for the implementation of a merit salary policy in six school districts which are prominent examples in this field: Canton, Connecticut; Ladue, Missouri; Rich…

Recounts the experiences of Kansas social studies educators in designing and implementing a workable assessment instrument that would meet state requirements. The design emphasized five characteristics (thematic orientation, skills emphasis, social studies perspectives, variety of resources, and community orientation) constructed around a…

Examines the usefulness of accountability measures for student achievement as empowerment tools for all students, providing examples from Native American schools. The paper posits the need for understanding current standardized testing, demonstrates how content currently tested can help increase the utility of instructional programs, and advocates…

The development of a complex, highly computerized system of performance indicators by the State University of New York provides the means to monitor internal progress, report to a skeptical public, and compare the system's performance with a national sample of institutions. The system is described here, and the performance indicators and data…

A framework is offered for institutions to use in identifying and overcoming obstacles to graduate student progress and retention. Seven aspects of graduate education that would have to be altered to reduce student frustration are examined: admissions, graduate curriculum, advising/mentoring, monitoring progress, financial support, institutional…

Describes journal writing as an element of multimodal teaching. Discusses how students utilize journal writing that includes pictures, numbers, symbols, and manipulatives to help understand mathematical concepts. Provides a form to evaluate students' portfolio writing and examples of students' evaluated work. (Contains 12 references.) (MDH)

Presents a simulated dialog among an art teacher, a school principal, and a school board member on student evaluation. Discusses issues related to the evaluation of art products as opposed to evaluation of student learning in art history and art criticism. Outlines issues of evaluating student creativity. (CFR)

Includes 89 references to materials relating to accountability and evaluation of library reference services. Highlights include research; statistics; planning; user studies; decision making; school libraries; public libraries; academic libraries; and standards. (LRW)

Presents a study of 87 second graders to demonstrate that achievement tests in primary mathematics emphasize pupil's lower-order thinking by comparing answers to interview questions from constructivist and traditionally instructed groups. Results indicated that constructivist instructed students demonstrated superior higher-order thinking on tasks…

Examines the style and content of evaluating student achievement in arts education. Considers student and teacher roles. Advocates formative rather than summative evaluation. Outlines Bennett Reimer's seven modes of interaction with the arts, seeking a vocabulary of arts assessment. Cautions against standardized testing in the arts. (KM)

A review of literature on evaluation of teaching in higher education focuses on factors in faculty resistance to evaluation of their teaching and on outside forces that may be prompting change in this area. Also describes the nature of comprehensive teaching evaluation programs, including various assessment methods, and offers a model for such…

Discusses the existence of three curricula in medical schools (formal, informal, and hidden) and suggests that educators and administrators investigate the hidden curriculum by examining four areas: institutional policies; evaluation practices; resource-allocation decisions; and institutional "slang." Needed reforms in accreditation standards are…

This article examines the individual components of bipolar disorder in children and the behaviors that can escalate as a result of misdiagnosis and treatment. The brain/behavior relationship in bipolar disorders can be affected by genetics, developmental failure, or environmental influences, which can cause an onset of dramatic mood swings and…

Science notebooks can be a formative assessment tool for both teachers and students to determine: (1) prior knowledge and existing science ideas; (2) how conceptual understanding is being built; (3) procedural understanding; (4) mastery of curriculum goals; and (5) the ability to apply/transfer ideas to new context (Volkmann & Abell, 2003). Using…

State and federal mandates for education reform call for increased accountability and the inclusion of students with disabilities in all accountability efforts. In the rush to implement high-stakes education reforms, particularly those involving tests or assessments, the particular needs of students with severe cognitive disabilities are only now…