Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Raising And Leveling The Bar: Standards, Access, And The Ymca Evening Law Schools, 1890-1940, Dorothy E. Finnegan

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Balance In Language Teaching And Learning: Honoring Tradition And Celebrating Innovation, Natalia Tsarikova

MA TESOL Collection

This paper presents a study aimed at finding a flexible approach to teaching that is responsive to learner needs and preferences whilst at the same time utilizing communicative language teaching and form-focused instruction. In other words, the author aims to find a balance between CLT (learner centered approaches) advocated by many trainers and teachers in Uzbekistan and the Grammar Translation method (teacher centered approaches) that has been widely practiced as well. The author’s primary purpose is to find an approach which is centered principally on learning rather than on the teacher or the learner. The author maintains that teaching is …

A Framework For Teaching A Foreign Language Class Based On The Principles Of Chaos/Complexity Theory, Michael Kozden

MA TESOL Collection

Chaos/complexity theory first emerged in the study of the natural sciences over thirty years ago. Through the years, experts from a variety of fields have held this theory up as a new way in which to view the world around us, including its applications to the study of second language acquisition. The language classroom, like the natural world, can also be observed from this perspective because it exhibits many features of chaotic/complex systems. Language instruction in a classroom setting not only produces strange attractors and fractals, but is dynamic, complex, nonlinear, chaotic, self-organizing, unpredictable, sensitive to initial conditions, open, feedback …

What Do Freshmen Really Know About Research? Assess Before You Teach, Jean Caspers, Steven Mark Bernhisel

Faculty & Staff Publications

The article describes an effort to assess the information literacy skills of entering first-year college students. An instrument was developed and information was gathered on students' experience and comfort in conducting library research as well as their perceived competence with specific information literacy skills. In addition, students completed a skills test to assess specific knowledge and skills relating to information literacy. Entering first-year students generally self-reported their skills to be less than "excellent." This finding was supported by the results of the skills test. Strengths and weaknesses in information literacy skills are reported, as well as implications for librarians who …

Design-Based Research Strategies For Developing A Scientific Inquiry Curriculum In A Multi-User Virtual Environment, B. Nelson, D. J. Ketelhut, Jody Clarke-Midura, C. Bowman, C. Dede

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This National Science Foundation funded project is studying graphical multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) to investigate whether using this interactive medium in classroom settings can simulate real-world experimentation and can provide students with engaging, meaningful learning experiences that enhance scientific literacy. In the project's River City curriculum, teams of middle school students are asked to collaboratively solve a digital 19th century city's problems with illness, through interaction with digital artifacts, tacit clues, and computer-based 'agents' acting as mentors and colleagues in a virtual community of practice. This article describes the design-based research strategy by which we are currently extending an educational …

Sacs Standards 2004: A Compliance Strategy For Academic Libraries, William N. Nelson

The Southeastern Librarian

This article first provides an introduction to and summary of Principles of Accreditation accompanied by a detailed list of provisions specifically applicable to libraries in higher education. The provisions and importance of Standards for College Libraries, approved by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) in 2000, are summarized and examples of implementation are identified. In a 2003 revision, minimal changes were made to these ACRL standards, which received final approval as the ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education in June 2004. These standards now supercede the three ACRL type-of-library standards produced separately for universities, colleges, and community …

Special Masters’ Report, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

The final ruling in the 1992 Lake View School District case was upheld by the State Supreme Court in November 2002 in a decision known as “Lake View III.” The ruling found that the school system for Arkansas failed to meet the mandate in the Arkansas Constitution requiring that the State provide a “general, suitable and efficient system of free public schools equally available to all" (Article 14, § 1) and required that the legislature develop remedies by January 1, 2004. The Arkansas General Assembly convened in a Special Session from December 8, 2003 to February 6, 2004 to address …

Perceptions Of The Library: A Key To Planning Effective Services, Sue Alexander, William Black, Virginia Vesper

The Southeastern Librarian

such as questions answered, books cataloged, and dollars spent. Now we are called upon to measure the impact of those services on our clients. Stakeholder demand for accountability, changing accreditation standards, and state and federal concerns over student outcomes have driven a real concern for measurement from the client’s perspective. This will become increasingly important as demands for accountability and competition from other sectors increase. “Assessment and evaluation are intended as means to demonstrate institutional effectiveness, foster institutional improvement, and demonstrate accountability.” Programs such as the New Measures Initiative, from the Association of Research Libraries, have been developed to strengthen …

Defining Educational Adequacy, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

In his 2001 ruling of the Lake View case, Judge Kilgore ordered, “an adequacy study is necessary and must be conducted forthwith.” In November 2002, the Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the lower court ruling and mandated that the General Assembly begin an “adequacy study.” Consequently, Act 94 of 2003 created the Arkansas Joint Legislative Committee on Educational Adequacy, which was given primary responsibility for fulfilling the Court’s mandate. The Committee contracted with the national consulting firm of Lawrence O. Picus and Associates to conduct a statewide adequacy study and report the findings to the Committee in the Fall of 2003. …

Introducing Dialogue To Graduate Students, Monica W. Tracey, David L. Solomon, James L. Moseley

Administrative and Organizational Studies

Scholars and practitioners in adult education commonly agree on the importance of communication and interaction in the adult classroom. Frequently, however, learners are not provided with guidelines on how to interact and communicate with others in such settings. This paper reports on an experiential orientation to the practice of dialogue for adults in a graduate program

[A Library Policy Manual For Selah School District Libraries, Selah, Washington], Roberta Jean Gustafson

All Graduate Projects

This project was undertaken to develop a library policy manual for the Selah School District libraries. Topics were collected from a variety of venues, manuals on the Internet,the.librarian list serv LM-NET, American.LibraryAssociation and the Washington Library Media Association. Lists generated from these sources were then narrowed down to the important management and operations topics. It was determined that substitutes in the library would need the information to manage the library, utilize the checkout system and enforce library policies, therefore those sections are in the front of the manual. Those policies that are part of the Selah School District Board Policies …

A Case Study Of The Libraries In The Vanguard Learning Colleges, Linda G. Swaine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of a learning-centered library from the perspective of the libraries in the 12 Vanguard Learning Colleges which were participants in the Learning College Project sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College. The 12 Vanguard Learning Colleges were: Cascadia Community College (WA), Community College of Baltimore County (MD), Community College of Denver (CO), Humber College, (Ontario), Kirkwood Community College (IA), Lane Community College, OR), Madison Area Technical College (WI), Moraine Valley Community College (IL), Palomar College (CA), Richland College (TX), Sinclair Community College (OH), and Valencia Community College (FL). Furthermore, …

Web-Based Digital Portfolios And Counselor Supervision, Paul E. Barnes, Paul A. Clark, Bryce Thull

Counseling Faculty Publications

Web-based digital portfolios provide a promising tool for counselor supervisors looking for effective ways to evaluate counselor candidates while maximizing the associated learning process. This paper describes a project involving the use of web-based portfolios that were created by counselor candidates. The project illustrates the benefits of the web-based portfolio for both the counselor supervisor and for the counselors in training.

On Ranking: A Response To Mitchell Berger, Paul D. Carrington

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

The Utility Of Dibels As A Curriculum Based Measurement In Relation To Reading Proficiency On High Stakes Tests, Rebecca Gayle Cook

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills or DIBELS reading measures and the Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition or SAT9 reading scores. The following research question was examined: What is the concurrent validity of the DIBELS reading measures in relation to students’ SAT9 reading scores? In this study, archival data from five firstgrade classrooms at a rural southeastern Ohio elementary school were collected. The results of the study indicated that there was a positive and significant correlation between DIBELS measures and SAT9 scores with the exception of …

Nsu Achievements - Winter 2003, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Achievements

No abstract provided.

Impact Of School Libraries On Student Achievement: A Review Of The Research, Michele Lonsdale

School and system improvement

This literature review was undertaken on behalf of the Australian School Library Association (ASLA). It was conducted over a four-week period in November–December 2002. The main purpose of the review was to report on the nature and extent of the evidence that has linked school libraries to student achievement from 1990 - 2002, to identify the strengths and gaps in existing data as it might relate to an Australian setting, and to suggest some strategies for developing further research in Australia.

A Media Literacy Curriculum For The Adolescent Learner, Chris Lopez

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a media literacy curriculum for teachers of young adolescents. Media literacy is a new, evolving field of study that teaches students to become critical consumers of today's media. Media have often been blamed for the ills of student learning, critical thinking, performance and/or behavior skills. In the review ofliterature, the author investigated media's impact on the adolescent learner, the need to teach media literacy, and recommended curriculum that would benefit the adolescent learner. The curriculum unit is designed to be a useful teaching tool for teachers of adolescent and preadolescent learners who …

Recent Trends In Higher Education: Accountability, Efficiency, Technology, And Governance, John L. Lahey, Janice C. Griffith

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Have Charter Schools Materialized Their Promise A Contrast Between Rhetoric And Reality, Mary Kay Kempker-Vandriel

Dissertations

Charter schools are a growing force in American education. Parents are demanding a choice in their child's public education. Are charter schools better than traditional public schools? Have charter schools kept their promise?

In the study regular public schools and charter schools were compared along five dimensions: (a) opportunity for learning and access to quality education, (b) innovative teaching methods and participative management, (c) teacher job satisfaction, (d) parent involvement, and (e) school accountability. Existing data from the 1999/2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) were analyzed with primarily chi-square tests and one t-test. These analyses provided results in relation to …

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Mae Worthey-Flennoy, Cate Weeks, Gian Galassi

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Nsu Achievements - Fall 2002, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Achievements

No abstract provided.

School District Performance Under The Mcas, Jie Chen, Thomas Ferguson

New England Journal of Public Policy

Education reform has spawned efforts to test learning across the nation. This paper analyzes the determinants of Massachusetts’ school district test scores under the state’s high stakes testing program, MCAS. The study is the first to demonstrate direct links between improvements in MCAS scores and state aid to school districts. The authors estimate “value added” for each school district in the state. The list of schools with high value added produces real surprises — while some affluent districts do well, others rank at the very bottom. Additionally, the study analyzes how teacher maximum salaries, district superintendent salaries, per capita income, …

Civic Knowledge And Engagement: An Iea Study Of Upper Secondary Students In Sixteen Countries, Jo-Ann Amadeo, Judith Torney-Purta, Rainer Lehmann, Vera Husfeldt, Roumiana Nikolova

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

No abstract provided.

Factors That Effect The Course/Subject Selection Process Of High School Students Of African Descent, Denise-Bonnette Jones

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Advanced societies require technologically literate citizens who can solve problems, manage complexities, find and use resources, and learn and apply evolving technologies (Owen, 1997). Today's rapidly changing economy is defined by constantly evolving technologies and falling behind is a recipe for disaster (Augustine, 1997). At the forefront is a reality that for most people, particularly the youth, the period during and beyond high school is marked by important career decision-making tasks. Determining what to do next in their lives remains an important but arduous developmental task for the youth leaving secondary school. As the world of work becomes more complex …

A Systems Approach To Designing An Internship Model That Benefits The Sponsoring Organization, Peter-Cornelius Dams

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Nsu Achievements - Spring 2001, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Achievements

No abstract provided.

Who Owns Our Values? Back To School, John Strassburger

Publications

This is the sixth in a series of occasional papers about the challenges confronting students and what Ursinus is doing to help them enter adult life.

Nsu Achievements - Winter 2001, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Achievements

No abstract provided.

Nsu Achievements - Summer 2000, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Achievements

No abstract provided.