The author responds to Pinnell et al's (1996) call for caution in using cost-benefit analysis in measuring educational reform success. It is argued that reform already is being sold to state legislators and educators in cost-benefit terms and that research has been inappropriately used in the selling process. (GR)

This article reviews promises, practices, and provisos of alternative assessment as a basis for illustrating what is known about measuring progress of students with disabilities in statewide assessment programs. Nineteen data-based studies have been used to begin to document the effects of alternative assessment. However, it is concluded there are…

Presents an application of a model of user evaluation of four major Web search engines (Alta Vista, Excite, Infoseek, and Lycos) by undergraduates. Evaluation was based on 16 performance measures representing five evaluation criteria-relevance, efficiency, utility, user satisfaction, and connectivity. Content analysis of verbal data identified a…

Three principles that guide documentation and assessment of children's early science understanding are: collect a variety of forms of evidence, collect evidence over a period of time, and collect evidence on the understanding of groups of children as well as individuals. Information and insights gained from this process help teachers plan future…

This article introduces a forum that explores issues surrounding literacy in multicultural school-age populations. It discusses sociocultural factors that overshadow traditional literacy-learning objectives, the relationship between low socioeconomic status and low literacy, environmental influences that affect literacy, and culturally biased…

Discusses a comparative study of regulations for assessment of achievement and grading in German secondary schools. Results reveal schools provide alternatives to traditional grading and take into account interdisciplinary or special learning achievements and social behavior. Summarizes major results. Discusses problems in the basic conception and…

Discusses Web sites operated by extremist groups and considers how school library media specialists can educate students about hate groups and teach strategies to recognize inappropriate sites. Topics include critical thinking; limiting access through filters; developing Web access policies; and creating computer use agreements. (LRW)

Three studies investigated children's responsiveness to general education reading instruction as an indicator of need for more intensive interventions and found that the response-to-instruction model tested was valid. Results indicated that children at-risk (n=47) who received specially designed general education instruction had better outcomes…

Discusses the use of cooperative learning activities in interactive distance learning classes at the University of Hawaii School of Library and Information Studies. Topics include dyad and small group discussions, group projects, evaluating cooperative learning on interactive television, effect on academic performance, students' evaluation, and…

Investigates the interaction between the presence or absence of explicit instruction and the variables complexity and morphology/syntax in the acquisition of four second language (L2) structures. Results from computer-controlled posttests confirm the hypothesis that explicit instruction facilitates the acquisition of L2 grammar. (66 references)…

Demonstrates how alumni research can be designed to focus program assessment on student outcomes and be responsive to program goals, administrators' policy concerns, faculty instructional values, and professional practice standards. Based on study of 347 teacher education master's degree recipients, the paper presents a conceptual framework and…

Expectations for family involvement and professional behavior are different when working with families of children who use adaptive technology than they are with families of other children with special needs. The article addresses some of the differences, describing family and professional roles in assessment, interpersonal communication,…

Describes three types of functional assessment of young children with special needs: play-based, family interviews, and the evaluation of multiple intelligences. Claims that all three types are useful for planning developmentally appropriate interventions and are positive because the emphasis is on the children's and their families' strengths…

Describes the implementation in one British school district of a model auditing system that takes curriculum as its starting point. Although the model drives the local educational authority funding formula, its educational importance is at the school level. Its implementation in a special secondary school for students with severe, profound, and…

A survey of 32 department heads at Rhodes University (South Africa) found that in just over half the departments, students were given the opportunity to evaluate course content and presentation, and department heads were favorably disposed toward the system. Two issues deemed important in institutionalization of course evaluation were methods for…