Focuses on the role of mathematics problems in the development of better assessment and gives examples with respect to some key concepts and operations on percentage. Reports results from use of the problems with two seventh-grade classes. (33 references) (Author/MKR)

This article reviews articles within this special issue on science education for students with disabilities, examining the articles in the context of current activities and resources in science education. Constructivism and alternative assessment techniques are seen as especially noteworthy movements in improving science teaching and learning.…

Describes how a high school chemistry teacher used reading, writing, discussion, and cooperative presentations to reshape examinations so as to teach students as well as assess them. Describes how students had multiple opportunities to express understanding of chemistry concepts and how the teacher could assess students' abilities to communicate…

Discusses reorganizing classrooms for more active participation of students, to give children the freedom to work with mathematical materials in new ways and to allow teachers to monitor children's learning in new ways. Discusses the use of graphing activities to assess children's knowledge. (MKR)

Two examples of the interaction between computer technology and assessment are described: a tool-based knowledge representation approach to assess content understanding and a team problem-solving task involving negotiation. The examples serve as the context for the exploration of validity, equity, and utility. (LZ)

Discusses weak links in children's developing power in counting. Presents assessment information for mathematics curriculum planning and activities embedding the subskills of counting into daily routines. (MKR)

This paper uses the concepts of decision reliability and validity to analyze three alternative psychoeducational assessment strategies: multiple gating, template matching, and time-series methods. It argues that relatively little knowledge is gained through analysis of individual scales and assessment technologies without considering the…

Proposes strategies for teachers to use when they first use portfolios to assess mathematics learning in the classroom. Includes discussion of a collection with a purpose, student involvement in the process, criteria for evaluation, benefits and opportunities, and a sample focused-holistic-scoring rubric. (MKR)

Presents activities involving multiple embedded figures beginning with the problem of counting the number of squares on a checkerboard. Offers several extensions and assessment suggestions. Includes student worksheets. (MKR)

Critiques standardized, static literacy assessment practice. Proposes an interactive, curriculum-embedded, multidimensional approach to assessment based on observations and records of student literacy made on a variety of occasions over time and in a variety of authentic learning contexts. Demonstrates how a teacher and a student interacted to…

Presents preliminary findings from a survey of portfolio practice in selected elementary schools across the United States. Suggests that portfolio assessment has rapidly become widespread in many schools. Raises concerns about the movement and offers suggestions for how it can realize its promises. (SR)

Discusses the types of language tests that language teachers can use in their classrooms for their specific purposes. Language assessments are classified into three categories: selected-response assessments; constructed-response assessments; and personal-response assessments. A definition is provided for each assessment type, and advantages and…

Teachers from Kent School District (Washington) participated in intensive teacher training on an alternative model of writing assessment. Based on six traits of good writing, the model provides a common framework for writing goals and assessments by teachers and students themselves, and has generated enthusiasm among teachers, students, and…

The merits and limitations of an alternative assessment method implemented in an inclusive university education program are discussed based on data from a study in which 24 Swedish university students presented mathematics and physics project results. The study shows how an interdisciplinary approach to assessment can promote critical reflection…

Describes Kentucky's inclusion of all students in its educational assessment and accountability system. Describes how this system operates at three elementary schools to drive high expectations for all students and include students with disabilities in the general education curriculum. Students participate in either the standard assessment or…