A survey of 56 Early Childhood Special Education teacher education programs found that the majority had separate assessment courses with a practicum component. Assessment topics receiving the greatest emphasis were instructional assessment for programing, appropriate assessment procedures, use of observational techniques, and…

Reported is a case study of environmental education students (19) at Johannesburg College of Education. The case study used a phenomenological approach. Reasons for the evaluation design and results of the evaluation are included. (CW)

Early intervention professionals (N=95) rated their own knowledge and skills in 16 areas of competency. The paper analyzes the distinction between knowledge and skills, identification of item clusters, and changes in ratings over time. Findings provide partial support for the usefulness of self-ratings in the context of inservice education. (JDD)

The study of curriculum-based measurement (CBM), involving 57 adults in a basic literacy program, found that narrative rather than expository passages exhibited higher reliability. Level of difficulty did not affect reliability. Validity data showed inconsistency between CBM and standardized test scores. The measures were sensitive to student…

Describes results of a literature review and telephone survey of the 50 United States to identify research and evaluation studies of distance education programs for elementary and secondary school children. Highlights include types of technology; focus of instruction; effectiveness of distance education; and evaluation criteria. (25 references)…

Focuses on the importance of teacher involvement in designing evaluation plans, climate setting, and awareness raising within the school. Emphasizes teacher appraisal as a step in the development of human resources. Recommends negotiated change and supporting teacher autonomy, rather than legislated change. Supports collegial relationships as a…

Traces assessment trends in British education since 1983. Discusses the examination system recommended by the Secondary Examinations Council, reviews the documentation of achievement by means other than examinations, and outlines the introduction of the National Curriculum. Suggests that trends have made objectives clearer to students and have…

Describes a 1987 survey of bibliographic instruction in U.S. academic libraries that was sponsored by the Library Orientation-Instruction Exchange (LOEX), and compares results with data gathered in 1979. Highlights include instructional methods, print and nonprint materials, evaluation methods, publicity methods, and suggestions for future…

The Transition Checklist was developed to compare characteristics of mainstream settings with performance levels of students entering those settings. The checklist assesses classroom instructional methods and materials, course content, evaluation techniques, and classroom management; interpersonal/social relations; and related school environments,…

Discussion of the role of the school library media specialist focuses on how to diagnose information needs. Highlights include diagnostic processes for individuals and for groups; the reference interview; needs assessment; neutral questions; determining user preferences; client limitations; and evaluation. (eight references) (LRW)

Describes a project conducted by the Texas Tech University Library to review support staff positions, which led to salary increases, and an upgrade of one-third of the positions. Highlights include six examples of competencies required of support staff; six steps in the review process; and the position description questionnaire appended. (four…

Preservice and inservice physical education teachers need feedback to improve their instruction and learning. At some universities, they can work in pedagogy labs, combining computer-based and observational feedback to improve their academic learning time (for example, analyzing their own videotaped performance within the pedagogy labs). (SM)

Steps required for developing a successful project class are described, beginning with an examination of how to use student writing projects with lower proficiency learners. A discussion of how projects can best be used as teaching and evaluation instruments in higher level classes is followed by examples of specific projects and styles. (Contains…

Argues that affective outcomes should be addressed instructionally and that student affect should be assessed formally. How student affect should be measured is considered. It is suggested that self-report measures be used and that Likert-type inventories usually meet the needs of classroom teachers. (SLD)

A discussion of the performance indicator system used at the University of Wisconsin to provide feedback to stakeholders and encourage continuous improvement of services includes background on the system's context and development, legislative and governing board involvement, resulting recommendations, and three examples of specific accountability…