Traces assessment trends in British education since 1983. Discusses the examination system recommended by the Secondary Examinations Council, reviews the documentation of achievement by means other than examinations, and outlines the introduction of the National Curriculum. Suggests that trends have made objectives clearer to students and have…

Discussion of appropriate feedback in an instructional setting focuses on a study of undergraduates learning graphics materials production techniques that investigated whether internal feedback, provided by an expert system, differed in effectiveness from external feedback, provided by an instructor. The effects of each on processing activities…

Describes hypermedia and its potential uses in learning and teaching. Highlights include storage and manipulation of information; levels of learner control; the roles of teachers and learners and the interactions between them; theoretical and technical problems; instructional difficulties; and evaluation principles for hypermedia. (LRW)

A Dartmouth College (New Hampshire) professor comments on the value of study abroad programs, not only for students but also for faculty. Issues for the institution to consider in designing an overseas program are discussed, including academic purpose, costs, unique administrative problems, implications for tenure-track faculty, compensation…

Project FIT (Full Inclusion through Technology) provides notebook computers for children with severe disabilities. The computers offer many input and output options. Assessing the students' equipment needs is a complex process, requiring determination of communication goals and baseline abilities, and consideration of equipment features such as…

A discussion of the performance indicator system used at the University of Wisconsin to provide feedback to stakeholders and encourage continuous improvement of services includes background on the system's context and development, legislative and governing board involvement, resulting recommendations, and three examples of specific accountability…

A comparison of comprehensive college and university administrators' attitudes toward faculty behavior and of their institutions' reward systems found that, though administrators valued teaching and service, salaries rewarded research and publishing. (JB)

Universities can effectively employ regional accreditation processes in striving to find legitimate means and credible mechanisms for more equitably evaluating faculty teaching and professional work. Examples from accreditation show how institutions can ensure compliance while establishing strong evaluation procedures for faculty service and…

Questions whether the nation's most prestigious colleges and universities are admitting large numbers of black students who are not capable of competing with their white classmates and if admission double standards are doing more harm than good. The article is followed by editorial comments addressing the author's position on mismatching. (GR)

An annotated list cites reports, books, and other resources for institutional research into campus diversity. It includes studies undertaken by individual institutions, often including assessment instruments, organizational resources, books and articles, and electronic mail lists. (MSE)

The Association of School Business Officials International has a Meritorious Budget Award Program designed specifically to meet Canadian needs. It is a budget recognition program to promote state-of-the-art practices in the development and presentation of school board budgets. Explains criteria and how to participate. (MLF)

A study investigated the factor(s) predicting success in receiving National Institutes of Health (NIH) First Independent Research Support and Transition (FIRST) funding. Two analytical models were used with a variety of researcher, methodology, project design, and institutional characteristics as variables. No significant predictor variables were…

Discusses the characteristics of transformational leadership and its impact on the organizational culture and effectiveness of schools. Outlines its role in school culture, bureaucratic mechanisms, staff development, communication, responsibility, and power and recognition, asserting that vision of the future and empowerment of others are crucial…

To ensure that teacher evaluation and supervision systems encourage improved job performance, there must be high expectations for teachers. Job descriptions and evaluation forms must have specific performance criteria and standards. The article discusses development and implementation of performance criteria and standards which can lead to…

This survey of seven hearing families with deaf children examined parent understanding of Signed English and American Sign Language, reasons for choosing Signed English, experiences with professionals and with other deaf adults, challenges of developing fluency in Signed English, and parental evaluation of the results of their use of Signed…