The use of standardized tests within the Chicago (Illinois) Public School System and elsewhere is discussed in the context of school reform efforts. Standardized tests have been criticized as: being too general to assess all valued outcomes; being too general to fit with local curricula; and directing instruction only to test objectives. Recent…

This report describes Kentucky's Primary School Program, which was developed after the signing of the Kentucky Education Reform Act in 1990. An overview of the report explains the philosophy of the program and lists its critical attributes. These are: (1) developmentally appropriate practices; (2) multi-age classrooms; (3) continuous progress; (4)…

The effectiveness of the current selection system used to hire eligibility technicians was studied, and the predictive relationship between existing selection instruments and job performance criteria was investigated. Eligibility technicians are employees of San Diego County (California) whose duties include determining the eligibility of…

The Maryland School Performance Program released six sample tasks to illustrate the types of assessment tasks that would appear on the 1992 Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP). Students' responses to these tasks are open-ended; that is, students generate their own responses. A wide range of responses to each task is acceptable.…

Recommendations for deriving and using student ratings of college teachers are presented. General recommendations for teacher evaluation include: (1) using multiple sources of data about a faculty member; (2) using student ratings as one aspect; and (3) determining the purpose of the ratings before they are collected. Ten specific recommendations…

The consistency of ratings between two sections of a course taught by an instructor within a given semester was studied by examining sources of variation in rating instructor/course obtained through a college teacher evaluation system. Data were analyzed for five business school instructors at a Sogang University in Seoul (South Korea). Each…

In recent years, many psychological constructs with associated measures have been proposed for educational research and the evaluation of educational programs. Among the most interesting and potentially useful are those reflecting motivational and volitional aspects of human behavior, the conative constructs. Among the conative constructs are…

A pilot program was developed and implemented to improve the music performance of middle school choral students. A target group of 27 low performing students in grade seven and eight participated in the program. The program utilized four strategies for improving performance skills. Lectures were given by inspirational leaders. Small groups were…

This series of papers by prominent economists who have specialized in educational issues brings an economic perspective to some of the major questions being asked about education today. Three papers address elementary and secondary education with an emphasis on educational equity. One examines the educational opportunities of at-risk children and…

Emerging applications of microcomputers and hypermedia to assessment in science education are reviewed. Although the current use of technology consists mainly of computerized administration of multiple choice tests drawn from item banks, the potential advantages are much greater. Among these advantages are immediate feedback to students, formative…

The 91 instruments in this bibliography include rating scales, coding systems, and inventories that are designed to determine the manner in which teachers approach the instruction of their classes, e.g. authoritarian vs. student centered, discovery oriented vs. expository, etc. Several of the tests are designed to give teachers feedback from their…

This document contains 20 competency-based examinations with student and instructor manuals for electronics and instrumentation occupations. For each of the examinations, the student manual contains the following: the competency, the performance objective, directions, the materials and equipment needed, a space to note time started and time…

Within the past several years of education reform, portfolios and other types of performance-based assessment have come to be recognized as viable alternatives to standardized tests. This report discusses insights gained through the use of portfolios at the university level with preservice students and their field-based experiences. Although…

In their effort to provide quality programing for their diverse student body, the Des Moines Public Schools continually evaluate their teaching and student outcomes. This report presents results about student performance on the following tests: (1) Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS); (2) Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED); (3) American…

This study examined the effects of class size, course level and absenteeism on college student ratings of college faculty teaching performance at a small liberal arts institution, Atlantic Baptist College (New Brunswick, Canada). A rating scale was completed by students in each course offered during the fall semester of the 1993-94 academic year.…