This study of 34 bilingual Spanish/English children (ages 9-13) revealed the influence of a codeswitching or language mixing factor in performance on the Test de Vocabulario en Imagenes Peabody-Adaptacion Hispanoamericana, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, their translations, and the combined results. Both combined/bilingual instruments'…

The effects of variations in learner control were examined for an interactive lesson presented as a videodisc visit to an art museum. The 101 first and second grade subjects were assigned to program control, learner control, and learner control with advisement conditions, or to a control group. Data on achievement and curiosity were analyzed. (28…

Small community homes in England for severely and profoundly mentally retarded adults are described and compared to institutional settings and larger community units. The small homes were found to produce beneficial client functioning and high levels of staff/client interaction. The paper concludes that interaction effects are possibly more…

A study at Tel Aviv University (Israel) demonstrated the utility of a faculty evaluation form on which the global "overall teaching performance" score can almost perfectly predict the mean of all teacher-attribute items for physics and chemistry faculty. However, for teaching assistants, a linear transformation is needed. (Author/MSE)

Performance data on three children with moderate to severe developmental disabilities, observed in both inclusive integrated and self-contained segregated kindergarten settings, support the conclusion that individual child and setting characteristics transcend administrative model in determining engagement levels across social and academic…

This study evaluated the school performance of 139 school-age and adolescent children, 22 of whom had been physically abused and 47 neglected. The abused children displayed pervasive and severe academic and socioemotional problems, while neglected children displayed academic delays. Both groups of maltreated children showed unexpected strengths on…

This study provides empirical evidence about the sampling variability and generalizability (reliability) of a statewide performance assessment for grade six. Results for 600 students at individual and school levels indicate that task-sampling variability was the major source of measurement error. Rater-sampling variability was negligible. (SLD)

The seven chapters of this issue focus on technical qualities of performance assessments and report the findings of systematic empirical inquiries. They add to the body of research that shows that performance assessment, although time consuming and expensive, merits the serious attention of educators. (SLD)

Twenty-two preschool children with cognitive delays were observed during independent play at home and group free play at school. Assessed developmental age was more predictive of play behaviors in home independent play than in classroom free play. Findings highlight the need to consider contextual variation associated with play-based assessment…

Describes a multifaceted evaluation of the Brandeis model of reference services, which included how the model was defined, direct observation of librarians, unobtrusive study, and a focus group project to gauge patron response. Results of the study and needed improvements are discussed. A sidebar article describes the Brandeis model. (22…

Discusses the accessibility of networked information services, i.e., NREN (National Research and Education Network), and suggests a focus on research in two particular areas to identify and meet the information needs of network users: (1) a conceptual description of the academic networked environment, particularly from a user perspective; and (2)…

Describes the Stanford University Teacher Assessment Project (TAP), noting researchers gained insight into the dynamics of teacher assessment and concomitant scoring, the nature of professionalism, and the activity of qualitative research. The article focuses on TAP's 100 Statement Project. (SM)

The CONNTAC program marks an attempt to develop an integrative performance assessment process that will measure knowledge, skills, and instructional repertoire of beginning teachers. The development of assessment center exercises and the critical role that scoring plays in exercise development are described. (SLD)

Examines how reading ability relates to course performance in an introductory developmental psychology course. Compares personalized system of instruction (PSI) to contingency managed lecture (CML) sections. Shows previous academic performance best predicted final examination scores for CML students while reading comprehension best predicted PSI…

Describes a four-month investigation of first grade students' definitions of reading. Analysis of observations, interviews, and documents revealed that students in low- and high-reading groups constructed different understandings about reading. Suggestions for teacher educators include helping students develop "kid-watching" skills and…