In inquiry environments, assessment is integral to the learning process. This means that students not only assess their own work, but they also help identify the criteria for assessment and design the tools for measuring the quality of the performance. One critical assessment tool, which is being used in countless classrooms, is the rubric.…

This discussion on assessment and evaluation in the online environment includes the use of different forms of rubrics. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)

In this article, the author describes how she prepares her middle school students for their Regional Junior Scholastics and the lessons they have learned through the process. Just as coaches never let athletes prepare without a clear understanding of the rules, her students ground themselves in how different art competitions work. Preparation for…

This article describes the procedures employed to develop a generic scoring rubric to evaluate students? responses on functional behavior assessment cases. The generic rubric was then used to develop case specific scoring rubrics. The components of the generic scoring rubric, its effectiveness to reliably score students? responses across cases,…

This book by Sheryn Spencer Waterman follows the bestselling "Handbook on Differentiated Instruction for Middle and High Schools." With numerous examples and strategies, it is an all-inclusive manual on assessing student readiness, interests, learning and thinking styles. It includes examples of: (1) Pre-, Formative and Summative assessments; (2)…

The purposes of this study were to identify the essential dimensions of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and to establish a framework for assessing the ICC level of high school students that included a self-report inventory and scoring rubrics for online interaction in intercultural contexts. A total of 472 high school students from…

This book shows middle and high school teachers in differentiated classrooms how to integrate assessment into the teaching and learning process. With examples from real classrooms, this book demonstrates how to use a wide variety of assessment to better address the needs of your students with regard to their learning style, level of cognitive…

Assessment is a key component of the learning process. In order to maximize student learning, instructors need to provide students with appropriate, explicit and timely assessment. Despite the potential benefits of problem-based learning, some instructors may be reluctant to adopt this approach because it will require them to modify their current…

In response to the demand for sound science assessments, this article presents the development of a latent construct called knowledge integration as an effective measure of science inquiry. Knowledge integration assessments ask students to link, distinguish, evaluate, and organize their ideas about complex scientific topics. The article focuses on…

This paper draws on semi-structured interview data and participant observations of senior secondary Physical Education (PE) teachers and students at two school sites across 20 weeks of the school year. The data indicated that the teachers in this study made progressive judgements about students' level of achievement across each unit of work…

Taking small steps toward change is a sensible way to improve the leadership and management practices in an early care and education program. A director must be able to make continuous improvements without alienating staff by asking them to make drastic changes that seem overwhelming and unachievable. Taking on change one step at a time is a way…

As the upcoming school year approaches, many science teachers may be looking for new ways to incorporate inquiry in their classrooms. Fortunately, teachers have an array of inquiry activities at their fingertips. But with so many resources available, it can be challenging for a teacher to make an educated decision about which experiments to…

This study assessed the effects of self-monitoring on the quantity and quality of creative writing of fourth-grade students with learning disabilities. The participants, four fourth-grade students with identified learning disabilities, self-monitored both the quantity and quality of their writing. Results show a statistically significant increase…

This study compared how people working in three different types of organisations in the United States (K-12 schools, higher education, and business) rank the importance of eight conditions that have been shown to facilitate the implementation of innovations. The study also sought to determine if the nature of the innovation (i.e., technology or…

Teaching in higher education increasingly requires greater accountability, the utilization of contemporary learner-focused teaching models, and transparent grading methods for nonstandardized learning products. This article describes learner-centered evaluation and assessment strategies and illustrates how these approaches emphasize learners'…