A program evaluation was conducted to provide formative information for improving the Ontario (Canada) Course Teacher In-Service program. Data were collected through 683 teacher-completed questionnaires, focus groups, and document reviews. Twenty-five recommendations were constructed for development and redesign of a similar program. (SLD)

Describes formative evaluation strategies for the first year of the California Formative Assessment and Support System for Teachers (CFASST). The evaluation emphasizes perceived effectiveness of training for trainers and support providers, with regular monitoring of reaction to the system by critical stakeholders. The paper discusses plans for…

Describes the trial use of formative assessment strategies in science classes in three English schools. Discusses the feasibility, benefits, and implementation of formative assessments in science. (Author/WRM)

Describes formative research methodology and how it can be used for procedural instructional design theory. Compares formative research with formative evaluation for instructional products and discusses objectivity, trustworthiness, construct validity, and the need for greater use of formative research methodology. (Contains 32 references.)…

The dynamic interplay between internal and external evaluation in formative and summative studies of an intervention program aimed at promoting mathematics, science, and technology education was explored. Results emphasize the need to define the roles of formative and summative evaluation and the contributions of internal and external evaluators…

The deficit model of assessment dominating education in postwar Britain largely disappeared in the 1970s. Inherent weaknesses of the 11-plus exam, which still survives, may explain current obsession with formative assessment. Record keeping, grading, and other difficulties with changes wrought by the 1988 Education Reform Act and the National…

Explores the value of action research as a tool for educational practitioners to examine and potentially improve their own practice and thus enhance student learning. Discusses the relationship between feedback, formative evaluation, action research, and other educational research; and provides examples of evaluation enquiries from India and…

Describes one university's development, through action research, of formative elements in assessment, reviewing the planning, implementation, and evaluation of change in assessment; reporting the action research through implementation of actions to facilitate more effective use of formative feedback; and outlining evaluation of these actions…

Offers a conceptual evaluation of primary assessment policy and policy process in the Republic of Ireland. Considers the National Council for Curricula and Assessment's policy document "A Programme for Reform: Curriculum and Assessment Policy towards the New Century" and refers to the primary teachers' union stance on assessment.…

Describes one school district's mandatory 2-hour workshop designed to certify substitute teachers. The workshop explains the district's expectations of substitute teachers, provides information and instructional techniques to facilitate learning and proper classroom control, and allows questions and concerns to be raised and clarified by…

This study assessed the impact of a prevention program on the growth of delinquency from 13 to 16 years of age and examined whether its impact operated through a chain of events compatible with many developmental models. Analysis showed that the program had an indirect effect on the growth of delinquency from 13 to 16 years of age. (Author)

Discusses ideas and practices in using formative assessment. Suggests the benefits of conceptualizing formative assessment as a tool for signposting the journey of second language learning. (Author/VWL)

Discusses underlying issues that affect all forms of teaching evaluation: determining criteria, making links between teaching methods and learning outcomes, and distinguishing between evaluation for self-improvement and evaluation for accountability. (EV)

The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers are bringing peer-review and assistance resolutions to the bargaining table. Both unions seek a new unionism with a strong role in ensuring teacher quality. Some critics are skeptical about putting teachers in charge of improving their profession. (MLH)

Discusses issues surrounding classroom-based assessment of writing. Describes the author's own experiences in developing and using a formative evaluation system for middle school students with learning problems; and discusses issues related to the linkage between assessment and instruction. Suggests matters of technical adequacy are as important…