In an effort to improve communication and interaction between students and instructors, improve the presentation of course material, and assess the cognitive development of students, a Quasi-Mastery Learning System (QMLS) of instruction was developed for a community college course in General Chemistry (GC). The QMLS incorporates eight features:…

Effective classroom simulations can provide opportunities for end-users to analyze human teaching and learning behaviors and can also help prepare teachers for real-world experiences. This paper proposes a simulation project based on an aggregation of ideas associated with knowledge-based simulations, behavior observations, visualization, and the…

"3-2-1 CONTACT Extras" (Extras) are television specials produced by "3-2-1 CONTACT," a television series on science and technology for 8- to 12-year-olds. The production of each Extra is typically accompanied by an extensive program of formative research, designed to examine issues of comprehension and appeal, that helps guide…

In recognition of the importance of futures information in planning efforts and continued staff development in achieving institutional goals, Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC), in Springfield, Illinois, undertook a project to develop and validate a strategic planning process for human resource development of faculty and staff in a radiologic…

This report presents the findings of a pilot study conducted in Lake County (Illinois) that was designed to identify higher educational needs and to develop recommendations to respond to those needs. Several methodologies were employed: public hearings; market research; analyses of census, labor, economic, and educational data; consultations with…

The teacher assessment that is the subject of this paper is an essentially informal activity. The teacher assesses the student by posing questions, observing activities, and evaluating work in a planned or ad hoc way. The information obtained may be partial or fragmented, but repeating such assessments over time will allow the buildup of a solid…

An innovative approach to the preparation of school administrators is described in which instructor and student come together in a learning situation that integrates three core components: (1) formative portfolio assessment; (2) reflective practice; and (3) cognitive apprenticeship. The operation and impact of this approach are illustrated through…

During the first half of the 1989-90 school year, the Chapter 1 Prekindergarten program of the Saginaw, Michigan school district screened 421 children and served 377. Process evaluation activities consisted of an on-site, half-day classroom observation of each of the 13 prekindergarten teachers' classrooms. The observation instrument focused on…

One in a series of reports on a gifted program jointly formed by three school systems in Alberta, Canada, this document presents evaluation information regarding the effects of the program in Strathcona County schools. The Strathcona County school system consists of a mix of rural and small urban schools and is intermediate in size when compared…

Three papers address issues in course evaluation and assessment of student performance in language awareness programs. The first paper concentrates on the formative evaluation of a course, during its design phase or in progress. It focuses on self-evaluation and two features of course design considered essential to course integrity: explicitness…

This report assesses the current state of the art of personnel performance appraisal in education to provide guidelines for new initiatives and developments in the use of personnel evaluation systems in Ontario schools. It is organized in such a way that the major issues related to performance appraisal are presented in the order in which an…

A project was developed for the purpose of monitoring the special education program of the Queensland, Australia, Department of Education. This program offered educational support for very young handicapped children and their families. The monitoring team had a formative role in providing the services of consultants to advise teachers in certain…

This document, the second in a series, delineates mandatory procedures for onsite school evaluations as adopted by the Ohio State Board of Education, pursuant to the adoption of the 1983 minimum standards. These procedures give direction to the system of education in Ohio, while allowing flexibility within the standards to establish educational…

Radiation workers, by law, have the responsibility to maintain their exposure to radiation levels as low as possible. This responsibility has not been accepted. Instead, they have relied solely on the policing action of health physics (HP) technicians, thereby delegating their lawful responsibility. Continued overexposure in the U.S. nuclear power…

Materials contained in the 16 volumes that make up the Rural America Series suggest practices through which rural schools can meet local community needs and realize their potential for career program delivery. This handbook, one of five in the subset of program process documents for the series, is intended for use by the coordinator in…