This report provides information on design and evaluation of workplace literacy programs (WLPs) to improve work force readiness and an overview of concepts about the nature, uses, and abuses of standardized tests in program evaluation and accountability. Chapter 1 takes a sociohistorical and sociopolitical perspective in discussing the knowledge…

The report, entirely in French, describes Alberta's curriculum for seventh-year French native language instruction, as revised in 1998. An introductory section offers background information on the curriculum's design, links between the core curriculum and French native language instruction, underlying principles of language instruction, the…

This publication compiles materials related to the October 13, 1999 public hearing before California State senate committees concerning the misuse of standardized test scores in deciding admissions to college. Section I, "Introduction," contains the hearing announcement, agenda, and a background paper. Section II, "U.S. Department…

The Strategies for Preschool Intervention in Everyday Settings (SPIES), funded by the State of Utah in conjunction with the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University, is an attempt to orient parents and teachers of preschool children to ways of dealing with children with disabilities. The primary vehicle for providing this…

The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) was created by Congress to formulate policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Among the Board's responsibilities are developing objectives and test specifications and designing the assessment methodology for NAEP. This document provides the framework to guide the development…

This is a report of the Strand 1 element of the Universities UK project to examine part-time students and part-time study within the United Kingdom. The aim of Strand 1 of this project is to set out, as far as possible, factual information about students studying part-time and following programmes of study leading to higher education…

Within recent years there has been an extensive discussion of the relation of secondary to higher education and of the high school to the college. With an increase in the number of high schools and high-school students, and with the awakened desire for a greater economy in education and more definite standards, this relation has become still more…

A model for evaluation of ongoing college programs is presented that integrates six instruments for assessing constituent groups' satisfactions or dissatisfactions: a current student satisfaction survey, graduate survey, administrators' perception survey, transfer reason survey, questionnaire on the program's strengths and weaknesses and…

A variety of programs at Ivy League colleges to attract and retain adult students are described. Issues to be addressed in establishing and administering such programs are outlined, including program organization, admissions policies, academic quality, faculty attitudes, management of student life, counseling, financial aid, and college mission.…

A pilot pull-out program for the gifted in British Columbia, Canada (grades five, six, and seven) is described, and evaluation results are presented. Thinking and communication skills are developed through games, field trips, individual projects, multiple problem-solving tasks, and challenging work in fields such as fine arts, history, and…

A study tested a procedure to identify and weigh various indicators of college faculty research productivity, as one measure of program quality. Eighty-six faculty in 34 Australian schools of education were surveyed. Highly valued indicators of research productivity included refereed journal articles, peer reviewed books, and major competitive…

Argues for an approach to undergraduate instruction that incorporates recent research concerning schema theory (the continual cognitive restructuring and processing of information). Recommends beginning with fundamental skills and building on these to include more complex concepts and processes. Includes an illustrative example beginning with…

Surveys a number of clinical doctor of philosophy, clinical doctor of psychology, counseling, and school psychology doctoral programs to ascertain the importance of various admission criteria. Reveals that, while some programs favor a terminal master's degree, the clinical programs viewed them negatively. Briefly discusses other admissions…

The three-year Miami University (Ohio) project to develop teaching portfolios is described. The department-based approach acknowledges that departments and disciplines have different cultures, and that departments are where rewards are determined. Issues in portfolio development and use, including benefits and problems, are discussed and…

An alternative method for college faculty to develop teaching portfolios is outlined, with the objective of minimizing professional risk. It is recommended that faculty work on course portfolios privately rather than in an organizational project, and that teaching philosophy be written last, not first. A two-year curriculum for developing a…