Pragmatism has been rediscovered in recent years and presented as emblematic of modern thinking. At the center of this worldwide interest in late-nineteenth century Pragmatism stood, first, a rejection of the traditional dualistic construction of the world in philosophy and psychology; second, a distinguishing of the findings of learning theory…

In a climate of accountability, the development of "assessment literacy" among school professionals has become critical to school success. The provision of "assessment leadership" is viewed as the means by which such literacy can be enhanced. The writers examine the conditions under which student achievement gains can be…

This study focused on determining the facets of assessment authenticity by exploring the perceptions of both students and teachers of vocational education and training. It elaborates on a theoretical five-dimensional framework (5DF) that differentiates between five dimensions and several sub-elements of authenticity. This framework led to the…

This study examined the use of rubrics in scoring a performance-based assessment. After receiving a health lesson of ways to have a healthy brain, fifth grade students were given an assignment to illustrate and write a booklet that demonstrated their knowledge of the topic. From students' responses the researchers constructed four sample papers…

This paper investigates the appropriateness of competence-based assessment in professional education validation, considering architectural education in Asia as a case study. Competence-based assessment originated in teacher training and vocational training settings in the USA and the UK. Competence-based assessment has been increasingly adopted by…

The great interest aroused by the incorporation of Statistics and Probability into curricular projects has been accompanied by considerable evidence of significant difficulties in the meaningful learning and application of the concepts. These difficulties have been the subject of many studies, mostly concerning secondary school students. This…

This practicum was designed to develop performance-based assessment tools to document language arts achievement for use in eighth-grade language arts classes. Two eighth grade language arts classes (55 students) participated in the program for an entire school year, maintaining a writing portfolio and a record-keeping portfolio. A video portfolio…

The Suffolk County (New York) Department of Social Services sponsored a performance study to gain insight into the department's operations. Management science techniques were used to portray operations of the Client Benefit (CBA) and Community Service (CSA) Divisions. The CBA administers public assistance programs, and the CSA provides social…

Setting performance standards is an area that different constituencies see quite differently. The choices of elements for a particular standard depend to a large extent on the purposes the standard is intended to serve. Standards can be used in certification, as predictors, as descriptors, and as motivators. While performance standards indicate…

Incorporation of management principles in the classroom can motivate students to successfully complete project work. The Communication Arts Department at Georgia Southern University developed a Public Relations Event Management course in which the students were responsible for planning a campus-wide special event to raise funds for two clients.…

A study examined school personnel perspectives on barriers to the implementation of a statewide program to influence change in curriculum and instruction. Interviews were conducted with personnel from 5 schools and districts and generally positive results were reported in moving from their existing curriculum and assessment programs to the…

A study explored practical issues in the use of competencies in performance review and in assessment and measurement of competencies by eight leading British employers at different stages in their use of competencies. The practices of 5 organizations using competencies for performance review of their managers were evaluated through feedback from…

An action research study detailed a program for improving spelling achievement across the curriculum. The targeted population is composed of second and third grade students from a growing, middle class community located in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The problem of misspelled words in the students' writing was documented through students'…

The use of the Work Keys Listening and Writing Assessment, part of an assessment system of the generic employability skills of individuals, needs to be accompanied by systematic evaluation of its technical qualities. This study examined sampling variability and generalizability of Listening and Writing scores when multiple forms, raters, and…

Taking as its motto "Language Arts includes the integrated communication processes of listening, reading, representing, talking, viewing, and writing," this curriculum framework serves as the foundation for the development of a new assessment system for New Hampshire. The framework will help practitioners monitor the quality of learning…