Although much speculation has been devoted to concerns over the existence and degree of grade inflation at the high school level, there exists a lack of current empirical data documenting the extent, if it exists, of this phenomenon. This study was designed to investigate evidence of the existence, persistence, and degree of grade inflation by…

The goal of teaching philosophy is to develop philosophically literate students and to ensure that students develop philosophical literacy by design and not by chance. Perhaps the best method for teaching philosophy to beginning students is the public model, in which the practice of defending positions in the public arena forces students to become…

Because interest in oral proficiency on the part of foreign language educators has persisted on several fronts, the common problems that teachers face in implementing oral testing are discussed, and possible solutions are offered. The problems discussed include the following: (1) how to find the time; (2) how to develop tests; and (3) how to…

This study examined the relationship among beliefs about grades and teaching goals of college faculty, along with the extent to which there exist systematic differences among the academic disciplines with respect to these beliefs and goals. A national sample of 442 undergraduate teaching faculty responded to a survey asking them to rate the…

The dilemma for instructors of advanced second language conversation courses is how to create a situation in which learners feel confident and at ease but, at the same time, feel engaged and challenged. syllabus can be designed to accommodate learner needs and preferences by allowing students to generate their own overall course goals and…

Teachers' beliefs and the effects of these beliefs on instructional practices have become significant areas of research on teaching. The purpose of this study was to compare the beliefs of elementary and secondary teachers with respect to testing and grading and to identify factors that discriminate between the two groups of teachers. The sample…

A part-form methodology was used to study the effect of varying degrees of multidimensionality on the consistency of pass/fail classification decisions obtained from simulated unidimensional item response theory (IRT) based licensure examinations. A control on the degree of form multidimensionality permitted an assessment throughout the range of…

Development of oral foreign language proficiency in high school and college instruction is complemented by well-designed writing exercises integrating all skills and providing contact with various language forms. A series of short, text-adaptable, proficiency-based writing activities reinforcing aural, oral, and reading skills throughout the basic…

This workbook is the result of a 3-year study of transcripts and other documentation from study-abroad programs and is designed to be of use to both those responsible for making credit transfer determinations and those advising students on study abroad programs. It provides the following information: (1) guidelines for the documentation necessary…

The components of a cooperating teacher summative evaluation instrument were identified and the extent to which the final grade in student teaching could be determined based upon the evaluation was examined. Specific objectives of the study were to examine the relationship between grade in student teaching and the summative evaluation and…

A checkbook learning activity which is adaptable to all grades, ages, and subject areas is described. The four reasons given for using checks in the classroom are to provide practice for students in computational skills, to increase student motivation, to provide real-world experience, and to replace the teacher's grading system. The following…

A study examined the differential grading that occurs in the basic speech communication classroom and attempted to identify predictors for the differences in the grades that male and female students receive. Subjects, 47 women and 48 men enrolled in the same lecture section of a basic communication course at a small private midwestern college,…

Designed to raise the full range of hermeneutic concerns regarding evaluation of student writing, and to spur further research and discussion, this collection of essays focuses on a reconsideration of the interpretation and evaluation practices of writing teachers. Essays include: "A Reflective Conversation: 'Tempos of Meaning'"…

This annual collection contains essays relating to instruction in the basic communication course, grading in the basic communication course, evaluating the basic communication course, and the "state" of the basic communication course. Papers in the collection include: "The Future of the Basic Course" (Judy C. Pearson and Paul…