A strategy is proposed for combining scores from multiple-choice achievement measures with performance assessments. The specific situation discussed involves the revision of a curriculum-based multiple-choice and performance assessment testing program for grades 1 through 6 for a large school district. Reading, language-arts, and mathematics…

Noting that reading instruction in the last years of the 20th century is still characterized by controversy, this book presents 18 essays that examine the best available research evidence about what is known--and what needs to be learned--about the teaching of reading and how children learn to read. Topics of the essays include whole language,…

The process of organizing content for a course in academic English as a Second Language is discussed, specifically as it applied to construction of a course for first-year law students at the University of Hong Kong. Discussion focuses on issues that emerged while trying to reconcile the university English center's curriculum policy with student…

A statistical analysis of an adult high school was conducted to determine factors for achievement and enhancement of quality of life of adult learners. Participants were 206 adult students studying English as a Second Language or enrolled in upgrading and business courses at a metropolitan Toronto (Ontario, Canada) secondary school. Variables…

This document includes a final report and curriculum guide developed by a project to improve the basic skills of adults enrolled in a union-based, preallied health, adult basic education program. Its objective was to prepare learners to become more effective workers and union members by incorporating worker-centered materials into the curriculum.…

The usefulness of a "lexical universe" in the development of verbal reasoning tests was studied. The lexical universe, which is a comprehensive listing of words and their frequencies based on a collection of machine-readable texts exceeding 14 million words of running text, is an outcome of a 1987 College Board study of the language in…

The accountability testing programs of many states have begun to make extensive use of constructed-response questions and to report test results in terms of percentages of students at various proficiency or performance levels. This paper describes the step-by-step procedures for two standard-setting methods recently used for the New Hampshire…

Sharing concerns and interests of New York State educators in the improvement of literacy, this annual journal raises educational issues such as appropriate, effective instruction and assessment for all of New York's children. A central thread found in many of the articles is the importance of authenticity and inclusion. A second strand reflects…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of a portfolio strategy to assess reading in the early primary grades. For a 12-week period, college students implemented portfolio assessment as they completed their reading block field experiences as part of their literacy/reading methods courses. Data included the portfolios, teacher surveys, journals of the…

This book describes how theater can create an impetus for productive learning across the curriculum. Dorothy Heathcote's "mantle of the expert" approach is discussed in which teachers and students explore, in role, the knowledge they already have about a problem or task while making new discoveries along the way. The book also presents a…

Five issues of the journal of the California Association for the Gifted comprise this document. The first issue focuses on the contributions of the late Jeanne Delp, a leading California educator. Articles by Delp include: "Who is Virgil T. Frey?,""How to Live Successfully with the Gifted Child,""Strangers among the…

This paper contains a variety of instructional strategies and a review of research related to different learning styles. A learning styles inventory, style profiles, and information regarding some types of activities for students with different learning styles are included. Two sample lesson plans introduce and describe the inductive learning…

A practicum was designed to create, implement, and evaluate a portfolio assessment system in a third grade classroom in a rural area of the southeastern United States, and to demonstrate to students, parents, and teachers the benefits of portfolios in complementing classroom instruction and evaluation. Standards, goals, and objectives for record…

Offering glimpses into an English teacher's unorthodox teaching style, this book presents the story of one woman's dedication to her energetic, unruly students and challenges teachers to find their own unique genius within personal and institutional limitations. The book discusses how the teacher (who has spent her entire career at one school)…

A study was done to examine the effect of study abroad experiences on undergraduate students both in their undergraduate years and afterwards. The study was a joint effort of U.S. and European educators and institutions, involved over 400 participants, and included a comparison group of students not undertaking a year abroad. The participating…