Grading policies and practices within the nine colleges comprising the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) were examined in order to analyze past and present grading policies and practices in each college and the district as a whole, to relate findings to statewide and nationwide grading practices, and to discuss possible future trends…

This is a transcript of a weekly radio "magazine" program devoted to coverage of the field of education. The theme is the American teacher. Discussion includes: (1) a typical day in a first-grade class; (2) a high school English class; (3) student grading; (4) music class; (5) the school lunch program; (6) a retired teacher talks of her future;…

The author, a correspondence tutor for Britain's Open University, argues that the correspondence tutor's primary function is to facilitate learning, which requires comments that establish an interchange of ideas between student and tutor. (JMD)

Open University students, adults in working life, are given several opportunities to mark stages in their progress during each course by graded assignments and final examination. One course teams' introduction of two-stage assignments is reported that includes an optional non-graded first stage. (Author/LBH)

A discussion of the testing system in Sweden within the context of the position of foreign languages in the educational system. Topics addressed are the standardized grading system, the different types of tests, the content of the French tests and opinions of teachers and students. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

The hypothesis analyzed in this study is that grade "inflation" may be reflecting real increases in student achievement, demographic factors that may be related to grading, or institutional grading policies that permit grade point averages to rise even if grading standards remain unchanged. (Editor/LBH)

Reports that results of a 12 year survey of student grade averages and student knowledge indicate that students entering college today are less knowledgeable than the 1967 student, but have higher high school grade averages. (SL)

A description of a complicated evaluation system to stimulate student motivation in university level German language courses. The total evaluation is based on points distributed throughout the course. The process, including advantages and disadvantages, is discussed in detail. Copies of the syllabus are available. (AMH)

Proposes, for the oral portion of the final (graduation) examination, the text as basic object, from which a section should be read aloud. A 15-point grading scale is described. Regarding content, performance in "informing,""interpreting and extrapolating," and "evaluating and discussion" are to be graded. (Text is in…

Poor attendance in foreign language classes is presented as an indicator of poor performance. (HP)

Reports on the newly devised optional Reading Comprehension Test in the high school graduation examination for Realschulen. Proposes a coordination of learning goals and teaching procedures with the various parts of the test. Offers suggestions for grading. Many examples are given. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

The diversity of grading systems used in 23 of Canada's largest universities is examined. Various suggestions are offered that, if adopted, should improve the communication value of grades and increase their effectiveness in decision-making. (Editor/LBH)

Presents results of a study on the effects of topic selection on holistic scoring, which supported the idea that topic effects are reflected in student writing and influence student scores. (JC)

Reports on three efforts to reduce class absenteeism through telephone calls to randomly selected students to express concern that they study and attend class; professor-initiated brief interpersonal contacts with randomly selected students; and a grading policy rewarding attendance, punishing absenteeism and using a combination of the two. (DMM)

Discussion of how to report writing skills highlights a computer program designed to provide feedback on the communicative effectiveness of students' written reports; presents an example of the typical feedback format which the program provides; and reviews students' reactions to computer assisted feedback. (MBR)