Places performance assessment in the context of high-stakes uses, describes underlying technologies, and outlines the history of performance testing from 210 B.C.E. to the present. Historical issues of fairness, efficiency, cost, and infrastructure influence contemporary efforts to use performance assessments in large-scale, high-stakes testing…

Describes an evaluation of lectures in a computer-based, personalized system of instruction (PSI) introductory psychology class. Results question the effectiveness of lectures, based on students instructor evaluations, student characteristics, personality test scores, and academic performance. (Author/LRW)

Gender differences in performance on multiple-choice and constructed-response items in mathematics were studied with 3592 11th graders taking a high school graduation examination. Results suggest that gender differences in mathematics may be linked to content and item format, thus supporting the usefulness of a many-faceted Rasch model for…

Reviews legal rulings related to student evaluation of faculty (SEF), their implications, and assumptions with regard to accuracy and psychometric validity when SEF is integral to the denial of academic freedom, tenure, promotion, and reappointment. The legal principles of Disparate Treatment and Disparate Impact are considered in relation to SEF.…

Studied the interaction of gender with achievement, scientific interest, and career aspiration for 325 Nigerian high school students and identified distinguishing variables in the profiles of males and females in science. Interest rather than achievement appeared to introduce gender differences in the science profiles of these students. (SLD)

Complete performance-based accountability systems (PBASs) have four components: standards and assessments, multiple indicators, rewards, and sanctions. A Colorado survey revealed that teachers felt significantly more accountable in their classrooms than in their buildings for learning climate; curriculum; standards; student behavior, achievement,…

A graduate business-administration course delivered to 10 on-campus students and via interactive television to 14 students at two remote sites resulted in few significant differences in student evaluation of instructional effectiveness. Campus and remote students perceived the learning environment differently. Both groups used e-mail and the Web…

Describes evaluation and assessment tools that have been devised by one institution as practical and informative ways to report students' results. (Author/VWL)

A study involving six bilingually educated children (ages 5-6) with deafness found overall level of involvement was high on three educational tasks and was influenced by type of task, teacher, and language of instruction. Involvement was greater during activities led by the teacher with deafness using Sign Language of the Netherlands. (Contains…

A survey of 125 musically gifted adolescents, 123 parents, and 88 teachers found students believed their success was due to inborn ability and hard work, parents attributed their children's musical accomplishments to encouragement provided by family and friends, and teachers attributed students' musical development to innate talent, hard work, and…

A faculty survey at a large open enrollment public university found most faculty felt grade inflation was a problem and one-third felt the primary cause was student evaluation of instruction. However, individual faculty did not feel that they themselves were influenced by student evaluations in grade assignment. Results did not differ by faculty…

Describes a study that sought to identify the attributes of high-quality science teachers at the junior high school level from the point of view of recent ex-students. Students described their best science teachers as presenting interesting and well-integrated hands-on activities, using a range of strategies to make lessons fun and interesting for…

Describes the design of the survey employed to measure the impacts of the Integrated Information Center (IIC) at the University of Minnesota on the end-users and reports the results of that survey. (Author/MES)

Argues that effective road safety education for young children needs to incorporate constructivist and socio-cultural perspectives on learning. Excerpts interviews with young children highlighting the variety of influences affecting children's road safety knowledge and examination of a road safety curriculum to illustrate the value of a dual…

Provides a rationale for using developmental portfolios in preservice teacher education, describing how portfolios have been used in teacher education programs and discussing contributions portfolios can make in helping candidates reflect on the pre-student teaching segment of the program and make the transition from student to student teacher and…