Describes experiences with student evaluation of teacher performance in higher education at four universities. Recommends peer evaluation through a system of rotating seminars in which faculty members demonstrate teaching by discussing their professional activities. (CFR)

Research in the area of grade adjustment methods from the last 27 years is reviewed in the context of admissions selection and of prediction of student performance in college. Contemporary grade adjustment methods can often produce indexes of academic performance with greater reliability than that found with grade point average. (SLD)

As part of Alberta's provincial initiative, teacher-researchers in two Calgary school districts developed and field-tested quality indicators for assessment of student artwork and mathematical problem solving. The resulting qualitative materials depend on informed professional judgment and student involvement in self-assessment; celebrate…

Explores the academic status model for university librarians that is recommended in guidelines laid out by national organizations in Canada, focusing on terms and conditions of employment in a representative sample of collective agreements. Examines inclusion of librarians in agreements, appointments, performance evaluation and criteria,…

Leadership abilities of male and female chief executive officers (CEOs) of 54 Ontario public libraries were evaluated by 272 board members and management or professional staff. CEOs generally rated high on all criteria; they were evaluated more highly by board members than by staff. Male CEOs were perceived to be more effective at securing…

Describes an assessment strategy used by pharmacy faculty to grade student writing in a large-class, lecture-based course, outlining the steps the instructors took to recast an existing writing assignment so that it is carefully constructed and articulated, can be assessed quickly and consistently by multiple assessors (self, peer, instructor),…

Eight common objections to performance funding of public colleges are presented and answered. The arguments focus on the complexity of higher education's goals, diversity of institution type, subjectivity of educational quality, relative power of the allocation amounts linked to performance measures, politics of resource allocation, cost of…

A study extends recent research on college-faculty research productivity by examining the relationship between research productivity and institutional factors, drawing on recent National Research Council data on research universities and their programs in four broad fields: biological sciences, engineering, physical sciences and mathematics, and…

A study in two high school language programs investigated students' oral proficiency (OPI) interview ratings after a typical four-year sequence, degree to which teachers could accurately predict students' ratings, and relationship between classroom achievement and OP ratings. Results provide valuable information for states and school districts as…

Examines, in detail, the changing nature of the composition of the student body at the University of Birmingham, England. Discusses the institutional changes that occurred as the small provincial science college grew into a major state-supported university. Provides extensive data and interpretation as well as statistical tables and graphs. (MJP)

Examines the effects of changes in provision of higher education in Australia between 1987 and 1996, focusing on the effects of expansion on college entry criteria, eligibility, and program availability. It is noted that this policy change has been characterized as an issue of fairness in competition for entry rather than as a selectivity issue.…

Describes the use of student-developed rubrics, conferencing, and reflective journaling to improve writing skills in a third-grade classroom. A rubric--a written tool used to authentically assess a piece of work--lists criteria for the work and includes a system for evaluating each criteria. Rubrics enabled the students to evaluate their own work…

Recent court decisions have rejected fostering of diversity as a compelling state interest. In a 1999 case (Brewer v West Irondequoit School District), Federal District Judge David Larimer ordered the West Irondequoit Central School District to admit a previously rejected (white) transfer student. Using class, not race, as an admission criterion…

A study investigated the clinical preparedness of 144 Stanford University (California) medical school graduates in 11 areas, comparing it with peers from graded medical schools and rating the accuracy of the dean's letter in representing graduates' capabilities. Results indicate that graduates from Stanford's two-interval, pass/fail system…

Discusses the planning process for migrating to a new library media center automation system, including identification of the need to migrate, solicitation of stakeholder support, enumeration of required attributes of a new system, writing the Request for Proposal (RFP), and maximizing vendor demonstrations. (MES)