Discusses how to handle problem employees in interpretive settings. Outlines minimal personnel management guides and minimal coaching/supervisory investment. Recommends learning personnel rules of the agency, thoroughly documenting the problem, and obtaining management support. (PVD)

Describes the design of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and results for Dutch students in grade 8. Presents these results in an international perspective and discusses differences between the results of these Dutch students on the written test (far above the international mean) and in the performance assessment (close…

Studied the validity of teacher judgments based on the Work Sampling System (WSS), a curriculum-embedded performance assessment for preschool to grade 5. Results for 345 K-3 students in 17 classrooms demonstrate that the WSS correlates well with a standardized, individually administered psychoeducational battery and is a reliable predictor of…

Researchers in the field of educational measurement need to monitor their own actions to keep their achievements in perspective. Some possible symptoms of obsession with their own significance are explored. Pride, destructive criticism, and misusing others to advance oneself are flaws researchers should strive to eradicate. (SLD)

This article explains how elementary teachers can link performance-based assessments and student self-assessments to the curriculum for improved learning. It provides graphic organizers, rubrics, and examples of student writings, and discusses ways to connect assessment and instruction, benefits for students (feedback and instruction), and…

Discusses research on middle school science learning and instruction that suggests how generative models of scientific phenomena can be developed. The Computer as Learning Partner curriculum is introduced as a curriculum that provides a firm foundation for lifelong learning through the use of authentic questions. (SLD)

Describes service learning as a vehicle for merging current educational reform initiatives, including standards-based education and authentic assessment. Also describes a case study project and a general model for designing and assessing service learning projects. Draws implications from research on service learning, focusing on the K-12 context.…

A Colorado school district approved a mill levy that tied additional future funding to improved student performance on the Colorado Student Assessment Program. In a single year the district met more than half of their 3-year goal and credits success to a focused, data-driven approach, a bipartisan citizens committee, a strategic plan, a plan for…

Examines the importance of reporting portfolio contents through effective conferences or conferencing. Provides several strategies and factors that come into play, including the four "C's" of conferencing: (1) collecting; (2) collaborating; (3) consulting; and (4) communicating. Addresses conference objectives, generic conference…

Diane Ravitch makes an articulate case for higher national standards and more emphasis on performance assessments of various kinds, but she does this by simplifying the issues and failing to understand some of the most powerful economic, ideological, and political currents in the United States and elsewhere. (SLD)

A relatively new performance-based assessment, the DISCOVER process, is presented in this review. The theoretical framework of the assessment is explained, followed by a delineation of the assessment process, checklist characteristics and development, and the tasks in the five different activities. Findings on assessment validity and reliability…

Reviews two models for assessment, the measurement model and the standards model, their underlying assumptions about learners, and the resulting implications for performance-based test development. Discusses the current testing debate, defines terms such as "authentic assessment" and "performance-based assessment," and…

Discusses the importance of assessment in the enhancement of learning. Explains different types of assessment such as performance assessment, portfolio assessment, time-series assessment, and the predict-and-explain assessment and discusses how to analyze assessment. (YDS)

Encourages using a portfolio as a means of tracking and assessing a teacher's strengths and achievements. Explains what a portfolio should include: (1) background information; (2) current statement of teaching philosophy; (3) course syllabi and descriptions; (4) course portfolio; (5) sample assignments and handouts; (6) samples of student work;…

In order to meet the expectations of NCATE's Standard 2, a unit must create quality evaluations of candidate performance. In order to accomplish this goal, a unit must incorporate the principles of performance-based teacher education (PBTE) and the use of authentic assessments into its assessment system. The purpose of this paper will be to…