A survey of 436 faculty at one university concerning usefulness of student ratings of teaching found little resistance to ratings in general or their use in faculty evaluation. Usefulness of feedback was viewed differentially, with feedback on interaction with students seen as most useful, followed by feedback on grading practices, global ratings…

Examines the admission criteria, placement test scores, and final examination scores of students at Oxford and Cambridge Universities for statistical evidence of gender and social inequality inherent in the system. Discovers irrefutable evidence of inequity among test scores and offers several explanations for this. (MJP)

A study investigated the quality of services in four student enrollment services administrative sub-units (recruiting, admissions, records and registration, financial aid) at a public comprehensive university, using student and staff evaluations and program evaluations. Specific changes needed to improve service delivery are identified and…

Issues of quality in clinical education that have emerged in the evaluation of colleges of optometry according to new Council on Optometric Education standards are reviewed. Specific standards and problems are cited, and common areas of weakness are summarized. (MSE)

Developing an Internet local job resource collection to expand library services to jobseekers utilizes librarian expertise in the evaluation, selection, and presentation of resources. This article provides Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) and descriptions for online resource guides containing job information, resume services, recruiting sites, job…

Reviews Michigan Kinship Project, a case management approach that is competency based and designed to assist child welfare staff members in working effectively with relatives as foster parents. Focuses on attention to culture, family participation and empowerment, systematic assessment, and individualized and comprehensive services. Provides case…

A college teacher describes his approach to student subject-area writing, which includes assignment of several short papers to be written according to carefully prescribed guidelines (appended to the article), clear grading criteria, high expectations, availability for individual conferences, rewards for improvement, encouragement of writing for…

Researchers examined procedures for collecting data on students' competency in two fundamental motor skills, criteria for assessing skill proficiency, and results across several grades. They task-analyzed videotapes of students' performance and determined that most students did not meet criterion expectations associated with an advanced form for…

Drawing from a current study, this article identifies critical issues and challenges for alternative educators and administrators. It contains a list of questions that can be used to identify and address key issues in alternative settings in order to promote successful school experiences for students with and without disabilities. (Contains…

Describes an online professional development course for K-12 educators in which teachers explore use of the Internet, including Internet communication tools, creating online resources, and curriculum integration. Includes independent research, sharing found resources, developing criteria for Web site evaluation, and creating and publishing their…

The relationships of age, gender, size of hometown, parental education, parental occupation, parental income, and marital status to medical school outcomes of preclinical performances, clinical performance, attrition, specialty choice, and practice location are summarized. The full value of using demographic variables derives from data obtained in…

The Australian Federal Government's policy of increasing the participation of school leavers in tertiary studies and the possible effect this may have on access to tertiary studies for mature age students are discussed. A study that addresses the social composition of tertiary students is described. (MLW)

In most cases, an optometry student's academic difficulty can be traced to some underlying cause other than academic preparation. Preventive measures should include admission restricted to students meeting selection criteria, pre-enrollment academic enrichment, appropriate support services and remedial programs as needed. (MSE)

Examines the nature of competency testing reforms through a multisite investigation of local school districts and states. Argues that competency tests and standards function more as symbolic and political gestures than as instrumental reforms. (FMW)

Presents the results of a study of the reliability of teacher assessment of the oral examination at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) for Modern Languages. Teachers' opinions of different types of marking criteria were collected through semistructured interviews after each teacher had assessed a tape-recorded free conversation task…