Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) are frameworks used to assess individual needs of students and the supports needed to meet those needs. An MTSS is complex with components which impact core instruction, curriculum, formative assessment, interventions, summative assessment, and problem solving. All of these components are a part of a school's…

This study assesses the impact of computer-based formative evaluations in an undergraduate English course for second semester kinesiology students at the Universidad Austral de Chile-Valdivia (UACh). The target of the course is to improve the students' online reading comprehension skills in their field. A preliminary study was carried out in order…

With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, researchers and experts in mathematics education developed the Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC) as a strategy to support the transition to Common Core State Standards in math. MDC provides short formative assessment lessons known as Classroom Challenges for use in middle and high…

Instruction in the laboratory is essential to the success of a total agricultural education program. The development of students' critical thinking, argumentation skills, technical skills, reasoning ability, and engagement are all found within the agriscience laboratory. Yet, utilizing the laboratory setting to its maximum potential is challenging…

A lot has changed in the principalship since the principal was the head teacher in a school. Current principals are building administrators and that is likely to continue, the authors posit. Nonetheless, they report their study focusing on leadership's role in formative assessment concluded that in order to lead learning the principal must become…

Frequently, when assigned to read, intermediate and middle grade students engage in a mindless encounter with the text. Or, try as they may to focus and gather information, they're mostly confused and not sure how to repair the breakdown in their meaning-making. With the new focus on close reading--and on engaging students with more rigorous…

This column focuses on promoting learning through assessment. This month's issue uses concept cartoons to assess students' ideas about the moon. Concept cartoons, formative assessment tools that reveal students' preconceptions and probe for conceptual understanding, have recently become popular in the United States, with teachers…

Nothing satisfies a teacher more than seeing a smile of delight on students' faces when they turn over their test paper to reveal a successful score. In today's world of standardized testing, some elementary science teachers may struggle to help students move from active engagement in hands-on science experiences to high levels of…

This article reflects on the purposes and functions of examination criteria for Masters' research degrees with creative practice components. With a particular focus on dance projects that incorporate both a performed and a written expression of the research, we consider how a rubric for creative practice research degrees might address formative…

Across the country, there is a renewed emphasis on using teacher evaluation not only to rate teachers but also to give them formative feedback that will help them improve classroom instruction. Recent research shows that applying the strategies that teachers use to give students effective feedback to the teacher evaluation process produces…

The incorporation of visual resources in academia is becoming increasingly popular. The Cousins Hereward Postcard Collection comprises 212 postcards that depict social, historical, cultural, and economic activities in Jamaica during the period 1900-1912. Illustrations include social conditions of the working class and peasantry, natural history…

A group of students studying to become mathematics teachers were asked to comment on the tutor feedback they received during teaching practice (TP) and to offer suggestions aimed at improving this feedback. Analysis of the written data--which was collected through emails--suggests the need for: (i) all TP tutors to provide good quality feedback;…

Using effective assessment techniques can improve an instructor's understanding of student needs and support learner-centered classrooms. Evaluating student learning takes on a new meaning in online classroom environment where students and instructors do not share physical proximity. According to Garrison (2011), the assessment strategies used to…

Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) appear to be one of the most widely used computer-based technologies for teaching and learning, and may emerge as a potential tool for e-assessment. However, little is known about how VLE tools are used in various forms of assessment and what kinds of teaching practice the use of such technologies brings about.…

Meaningful relationships with others are often elusive for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, but no less desired for their full inclusion and participation in society. It is well documented that people with disabilities are victims of interpersonal violence at higher rates than peers without disabilities. This article…