Too often teachers and schools operate with grading systems that are vestiges of an antiquated educational model with little fresh thinking as to how grades affect student learning. In On Grades and Grading, Timothy Quinn addresses this problem head on, offering an in-depth and nuanced analysis of the purposes grades can serve, as well as their impact on student learning. Quinn takes a hard look at the three pedagogical purposes for grades - providing data about students, motivating students, and providing students with feedback on their work. He then goes on to address a number of specific and, at times, controversial grading related issues, including grade inflation, grading collaborative work, grading and failure, the grading of behaviors and dispositions, and the use of technology in grading. Educators will find both concrete strategies for improving their grading systems and policies and, perhaps most importantly, a rich resource for improving student learning. Ultimately, Quinn hopes to create a world in which students, parents, and teachers all pay more attention to learning and less to grades themselves.

"This book provides a wealth of information for teachers who are seeking new ways to meet the needs of all learners for high academic achievement!" -Marguerita K. DeSander, Assistant Professor of Leadership and Policy Studies The George Washington University "Using this book as part of the alignment process will greatly enhance any classroom curriculum!" -Joen M. Painter, Education Consultant Develop integrated, meaningful units that engage students and address multiple standards! Using a student-oriented approach, Clustering Standards in Integrated Units, Second Edition, offers guidelines for designing interdisciplinary units that combine content areas, address standards, and involve students in their own learning and assessment. Diane L. Ronis offers a framework for organizing, implementing, and evaluating units and provides sample rubrics, templates, and reproducibles for the planning process. Drawing on a constructivist approach and geared to meet students' individual learning needs, the text demonstrates how to: Integrate content across multiple curriculum areas Make instruction meaningful using new information about how the brain works Encourage students to pose and investigate questions relevant to the real world Access specific Web sites for meeting state standards This book helps seasoned and novice teachers facilitate collaborative learning with teams of students and assist them in making significant connections between their own experiences and events in the real world.

The Aptitude Myth addresses the decline in American children's mastery of critical school subjects. It contends that a contributing cause for this decline derives from many Americans' ways of thinking about children's learning: They believe that school performance is determined very largely by innate aptitude. The Aptitude Myth traces the deep historical origins, the spread and elaboration, and the eventual triumph of the belief in the determining power of mental abilities "given" at birth and therefore fixed. Covered is 600 B.C.E. until 1926 (when the S.A.T. was first administered). The belief in aptitude, assumed by many Americans to be the modern view of learning ability, is revealed as an archaic way of thinking that originated in the imaginations of our ancient forebears and gradually gained credibility over 2,500 years. In recent times, the belief became elaborated to include the fanciful notion that more-than-modest academic study injures a child's health. Having inherited this mindset, Americans don't know how to insure that children gain mastery. A new mindset is needed. The final chapter offers a transformative mindset.

The Aptitude Myth addresses the decline in American children's mastery of critical school subjects. It contends that a contributing cause for this decline derives from many Americans' ways of thinking about children's learning: They believe that school performance is determined very largely by innate aptitude. The Aptitude Myth traces the deep historical origins, the spread and elaboration, and the eventual triumph of the belief in the determining power of mental abilities "given" at birth and therefore fixed. Covered is 600 B.C.E. until 1926 (when the S.A.T. was first administered). The belief in aptitude, assumed by many Americans to be the modern view of learning ability, is revealed as an archaic way of thinking that originated in the imaginations of our ancient forebears and gradually gained credibility over 2,500 years. In recent times, the belief became elaborated to include the fanciful notion that more-than-modest academic study injures a child's health. Having inherited this mindset, Americans don't know how to insure that children gain mastery. A new mindset is needed. The final chapter offers a transformative mindset.

The work of a school principal is a blend of nonstop demands, heart-opening connections, near-constant stress, passionate commitment, and a merry jumble of projects that flop or flourish. It's easy to forget that the principal's own health and harmony are among the things that also need attention. In this innovative workbook, you'll be expertly guided through the Flourishing Principle. Eight strengths-based, solution-focused strategies for self-renewal are designed to support principals like you. You'll connect with core values, find and sustain healthy balance, acknowledge current reality, and set clear intentions. You'll rediscover innate creativity, refresh healthy communication skills, focus on self-care, and call upon guiding wisdom. You'll flourish More than 70 well-crafted writing prompts guide you to self-renewal. Each is illustrated with the voice of a flourishing principal who has embodied these strategies. A facilitator's guide featuring a step-by-step curriculum prepares you to lead a writing group with peers.

Since test items are the building blocks of any test, learning how to develop and validate test items has always been critical to the teaching-learning process. As they grow in importance and use, testing programs increasingly supplement the use of selected-response (multiple-choice) items with constructed-response formats. This trend is expected to continue. As a result, a new item writing book is needed, one that provides comprehensive coverage of both types of items and of the validity theory underlying them.

This book is an outgrowth of the author s previous book, Developing and Validating Multiple-Choice Test Items, 3e (Haladyna, 2004). That book achieved distinction as the leading source of guidance on creating and validating selected-response test items. Like its predecessor, the content of this new book is based on both an extensive review of the literature and on its author s long experience in the testing field. It is very timely in this era of burgeoning testing programs, especially when these items are delivered in a computer-based environment. Key features include

Comprehensive and Flexible No other book so thoroughly covers the field of test item development and its various applications.

Focus on Validity Validity, the most important consideration in testing, is stressed throughout and is based on the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, currently under revision by AERA, APA, and NCME

Illustrative Examples The book presents various selected and constructed response formats and uses many examples to illustrate correct and incorrect ways of writing items. Strategies for training item writers and developing large numbers of items using algorithms and other item-generating methods are also presented.

Based on Theory and Research A comprehensive review and synthesis of existing research runs throughout the book and complements the expertise of its authors.

Contemporary Psychometrics features cutting edge chapters organized in four sections: test theory, factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and multivariate analysis. The section on test theory includes topics such as multidimensional item response theory (IRT), the relationship between IRT and factor analysis, estimation and testing of these models, and basic measurement issues that are often neglected. The factor analysis section reviews the history and development of the model, factorial invariance and factor analysis indeterminacy, and Bayesian inference for factor scores and parameter estimates. The section on structural equation modeling (SEM) includes the general algebraic-graphic rules for latent variable SEM, a survey of goodness of fit assessment, SEM resampling methods, a discussion of how to compare correlations between and within independent samples, dynamic factor models based on ARMA time series models, and multi-level factor analysis models for continuous and discrete data. The final section on multivariate analysis includes topics such as dual scaling of ordinal data, model specification and missing data problems in time series models, and a discussion of the themes that run through all multivariate methods. This tour de force through contemporary psychometrics will appeal to advanced students and researchers in the social and behavioral sciences and education, as well as methodologists from other disciplines.

This volume explores the recent national trend toward adoption of performance assessments. Embraced at all levels of educational decision-making--state, district, school, and teacher--the shapes these assessments take and the affects they have at the classroom level can differ significantly from one setting to another. Based on case studies of 16 schools, this study describes what performance assessments actually look like--the types of tasks they pose to children, the scoring methods used, the purposes to which they are put, and how they fit in with other components of assessment systems. It also shows how they differ when they are introduced by state departments of education, districts, and schools themselves. Factors that affect policymakers' and educators' abilities to successfully design and introduce performance assessments are also explored. These include the purposeful coordination of performance assessment with related education reforms, such as the adoption of content and student performance standards, and the professional development for teachers necessary to the successful implementation of performance assessments. Barriers to adoption, most notably the challenges of developing a technically sound performance assessment, are discussed as well. Crucial to teachers' ability to appropriate performance assessments for use in their own classrooms is their invovlement in designing and implementing them. Although it would be impossible for a state or school district to involve all teachers in the design of a performance assessment, they can take steps to foster teachers' understanding of the purposes and methods of the assessment, thereby supporting their ability to use similar methods in their daily teaching. Toward that end, this book describes the experiences of teachers and students with a range of assessments that all fall under the umbrella of performance assessment. In addition, it provides: *rich illustrations of those experiences across a diverse group of schools; *descriptions of the trade-offs inherent in developing a student assessment system; *demonstrations of why no single assessment can be "all things to all people;" and *valuable insights for teachers, administrators, policymakers, and researchers who want to improve their understanding of how performance assessments work in practice and how they may best serve to improve teaching and learning.

Is advertising a factor that contributes to rising costs and prices? This study, commissioned to answer just that question by the Institute of Canadian Advertising, examines the effect of advertising on the Canadian economy, on business, the consumer, costs and prices, productivity, competition, employment, social welfare and economic growth. The Economic Implications of Advertising provides a valuable insight into a little-studied area of advertising, and will be of great interest to students of the industry everywhere. First published in 1967.

'This book uses a practical approach to early intervention for struggling learners, while keeping in mind the cultural and linguistic considerations for English language learners. Applying the RTI strategies in this book takes the guesswork out of educating students and reduces referrals to special education due to lack of instruction.'uRobert Raymond, Senior School Improvement Instruction SpecialistOffice of Special Education Initiatives, New York City Department of EducationAssess students accurately to make informed instructional and eligibility decisions!Effective and ongoing assessment processes are crucial for making important decisions about the education of at-risk and struggling students. This practical book presents Ku12 educators with a comprehensive overview of the three primary types of assessment within multitiered Response to Intervention (RTI) models: universal screening, progress monitoring, and diagnostic assessment for special education. This resource establishes the foundation for assessment in RTI and provides practical suggestions for implementing universal screening and progress monitoring to make informed instructional decisions. The author identifies the role of RTI in determining student eligibility for special education services and discusses effective assessment decision-making processes, including roles and responsibilities of different team members. This book also:Provides detailed coverage of specific assessment methods and practices, including Curriculum-Based MeasurementAddresses important topics related to RTI, including fidelity of implementationPresents RTI assessment needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners Includes tables, figures, and reproducible forms and PowerPoint slides to facilitate training and implementationRTI Assessment Essentials for Struggling Learners is a valuable guide for members of RTI teams looking to expand their expertise in meeting the needs of all students.

This book focuses on dilemmas inherent in the practice of assessment in the contemporary context. New forms of assessment are being introduced in all sectors of education and training, and the culture of assessment is shifting. The authors in this volume discuss the practice of assessment, reporting empirical research on modes of assessment within a variety of educational contexts, while also addressing conceptual and theoretical aspects of assessment. Though most publications on assessment do not go beyond one sector or phase of education and only consider assessment in one national context, this volume is cross-sectoral and international in scope. This groundbreaking book illustrates the conceptual and practical dilemmas of assessment and raises issues that are relevant and applicable across a variety of modes of assessment and across various contexts where assessment takes place.

On campuses across the United States and beyond, schools of business, education, law, liberal arts, management, medical professions, pharmacy, and physical or social sciences are beginning to use assessment rubrics for purposes of formative and summative evaluation. A concise yet comprehensive guide to rubric usage, this book is an essential tool for university, professional school, college, community college, and upper level secondary school faculty members. It contains one-stop rubric shopping for key considerations, common problems, specific design steps, implementation samples, standards alignment, and grade-focused applications. Effective college-level rubrics that are the right tools for objective, comprehensive assessment can be constructed almost as easily as an ice cream sundae Welcome aboard as Rubric Assessment Goes to College

On campuses across the United States and beyond, schools of business, education, law, liberal arts, management, medical professions, pharmacy, and physical or social sciences are beginning to use assessment rubrics for purposes of formative and summative evaluation. A concise yet comprehensive guide to rubric usage, this book is an essential tool for university, professional school, college, community college, and upper level secondary school faculty members. It contains one-stop rubric shopping for key considerations, common problems, specific design steps, implementation samples, standards alignment, and grade-focused applications. Effective college-level rubrics that are the right tools for objective, comprehensive assessment can be constructed almost as easily as an ice cream sundae! Welcome aboard as Rubric Assessment Goes to College!

This edited volume presents a balanced approach to the ongoing debate of just how general the "general factor" of intelligence is. To accomplish this goal, the editors chose a number of distinct approaches to the study of intelligence--psychometric, genetic-epistemological, cognitive, biological, behavior-genetic, sociocultural, systems--and asked distinguished scholars to write from the standpoint of these approaches. Each approach comprises two chapters, one by a scholar leaning toward a view arguing for the greater generality of g, and the other by a scholar leaning toward a view arguing for the lesser generality of g. The scholars are not simply "for" or "against" these outlooks, rather they provide a more textured view of the general factor, attempting to explain it in psychological terms that are easily understandable. Intended for psychologists in all areas, including clinical, consulting, educational, cognitive, school, developmental, and industrial-organizational, this book will also be of interest to educators, sociologists, anthropologists, and those interested in the nature of intelligence.

Hamm and Adams present models to help teachers identify student learning problems-recognizing when to re-teach, when to move ahead, and when to explain or give more examples. Activating Assessment for All Students takes all of these into account when it provides differentiated science/math methods and goes on to suggest ways that formative assessment practices can inform differentiated teaching, learning, and assessment. These methods promote success for more students by helping teachers develop informative assessment for lessons and related tools for reaching the varying levels of student competencies within their classes. This book builds on the expanding knowledge of what works in classrooms and suggests approaches that can open up individual and group possibilities for science and mathematics instruction. It intends to help you answer the following questions: * What is differentiated instructional assessment? * How can I amplify the results of DI by using formative assessments? * How might quality assessment tools (like portfolios) benefit all students? * How will I know that differentiated formative assessment works?

At this moment, schools are doing everything they can to win the Race to the Top. They are allocating their funding to test preparation, riffing beloved teachers, and transferring students who "drag down" their grade average on the state report card. This book describes the current state of the education system in the United States. Readers will be on the front lines of the protests in Madison, in the inner city public-turned-charter schools, and in the shoes of the teachers dealing with educational politics every day. By the end of this text, you may beg the question: who's winning in the Race to the Top?

Part of The Essential SENCO Toolkit series, this invaluable resource offers practical ideas and materials to allow SENCOs and SEN practitioners to capture learning, demonstrate the impact of SEN support, and analyse whether provision is effectively tackling barriers to learning. Chapters introduce a shared language of learning and move through seven key components: cognition, communication, creativity, control, compassion, co-ordination and the curriculum. Key features include: A framework for the holistic assessment of skills and attributes that contribute to accessing the curriculum, and a framework for intervention that is additional to, or different from, the differentiated curriculum A unique strengths-based progress tracker that establishes a baseline to inform intervention and determine progress over time A photocopiable and downloadable programme of materials, trialled and tested in both primary and secondary settings, that can be shared with teachers, senior leaders and support staff, as well as with parents/carers and pupils Providing a framework to create a holistic profile of the child and their needs, SEND Assessment empowers professionals to confidently demonstrate progress for barriers to learning that are otherwise difficult to measure. It will support SENCOs in their day-to-day roles and become a vital tool for those interested in providing effective SEN provision in educational settings.

Reaching an Understanding: Innovations in How We View Reading Assessment builds upon the editors previous book Measuring Up: Advances in How We Assess Reading Ability by representing some early attempts to apply theory to help guide the development of new assessments and measurement models. Reaching an Understanding is divided into two sections: "assessment, learning, and instruction: connecting text, task, and reader/ learner" and "how to build for the future". These sections identify ways to assess students reading comprehension through multiple text sources, purpose readings, and assessment while a student is reading in order to determine deficits. In light of federal legislation towards common core standards and assessments, as well as significant national investments in reading and literacy education, it is a critical and opportune time to bring together the research and measurement community to address fundamental issues of measuring reading comprehension, in theory and in practice.

Reaching an Understanding: Innovations in How We View Reading Assessment builds upon the editors previous book Measuring Up: Advances in How We Assess Reading Ability by representing some early attempts to apply theory to help guide the development of new assessments and measurement models. Reaching an Understanding is divided into two sections: "assessment, learning, and instruction: connecting text, task, and reader/ learner" and "how to build for the future". These sections identify ways to assess students reading comprehension through multiple text sources, purpose readings, and assessment while a student is reading in order to determine deficits. In light of federal legislation towards common core standards and assessments, as well as significant national investments in reading and literacy education, it is a critical and opportune time to bring together the research and measurement community to address fundamental issues of measuring reading comprehension, in theory and in practice.

Automatic item generation (AIG) represents a relatively new and unique research area where specific cognitive and psychometric theories are applied to test construction practices for the purpose of producing test items using technology. The purpose of this book is to bring researchers and practitioners up-to-date on the growing body of research on AIG by organizing in one volume what is currently known about this research area. Part I begins with an overview of the concepts and topics necessary for understanding AIG by focusing on both its history and current applications. Part II presents two theoretical frameworks and practical applications of these frameworks in the production of item generation. Part III summarizes the psychological and substantive characteristics of generated items . Part IV concludes with a discussion of the statistical models that can be used to estimate the item characteristics of generated items, features one future application of AIG, describes the current technologies used for AIG, and also highlights the unresolved issues that must be addressed as AIG continues to mature as a research area.

Comprehensive The book provides a comprehensive analysis of both the theoretical concepts that define automatic item generation and the practical considerations required to implement these concepts.

Varied Applications Readers are provided with novel applications in diverse content areas (e.g., science and reading comprehension) that range across all educational levels elementary through university.

Automatic item generation (AIG) represents a relatively new and unique research area where specific cognitive and psychometric theories are applied to test construction practices for the purpose of producing test items using technology. The purpose of this book is to bring researchers and practitioners up-to-date on the growing body of research on AIG by organizing in one volume what is currently known about this research area. Part I begins with an overview of the concepts and topics necessary for understanding AIG by focusing on both its history and current applications. Part II presents two theoretical frameworks and practical applications of these frameworks in the production of item generation. Part III summarizes the psychological and substantive characteristics of generated items . Part IV concludes with a discussion of the statistical models that can be used to estimate the item characteristics of generated items, features one future application of AIG, describes the current technologies used for AIG, and also highlights the unresolved issues that must be addressed as AIG continues to mature as a research area.

Comprehensive The book provides a comprehensive analysis of both the theoretical concepts that define automatic item generation and the practical considerations required to implement these concepts.

Varied Applications Readers are provided with novel applications in diverse content areas (e.g., science and reading comprehension) that range across all educational levels elementary through university."

Considering the permeation of various mobile and internet technologies into daily life, their extension into the context of learning and work is unsurprising. With a global push in universities to blend and deepen their learning and delivery methods, effective application of mobile and internet technologies is essential for the promotion of student success. Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment Practices in Higher Education is a comprehensive scholarly book that aims to explore the current impact of mobile technologies and the use of video capture via mobile devices on the learning and assessment of students in higher education, particularly where practical performance examples of their work are required as evidence of attaining competence. Featuring a wide range of topics such as course development, teacher evaluation, and higher education, this book is ideal for deans, educators, academicians, educational administrators, curriculum developers, researchers, students, and higher education professionals.

Part of The Essential SENCO Toolkit series, this invaluable resource offers practical ideas and materials to allow SENCOs and SEN practitioners to capture learning, demonstrate the impact of SEN support, and analyse whether provision is effectively tackling barriers to learning. Chapters introduce a shared language of learning and move through seven key components: cognition, communication, creativity, control, compassion, co-ordination and the curriculum. Key features include: A framework for the holistic assessment of skills and attributes that contribute to accessing the curriculum, and a framework for intervention that is additional to, or different from, the differentiated curriculum A unique strengths-based progress tracker that establishes a baseline to inform intervention and determine progress over time A photocopiable and downloadable programme of materials, trialled and tested in both primary and secondary settings, that can be shared with teachers, senior leaders and support staff, as well as with parents/carers and pupils Providing a framework to create a holistic profile of the child and their needs, SEND Assessment empowers professionals to confidently demonstrate progress for barriers to learning that are otherwise difficult to measure. It will support SENCOs in their day-to-day roles and become a vital tool for those interested in providing effective SEN provision in educational settings.

Large-scale assessments (LSAs) play a growing role in education policy decisions, accountability, and education planning worldwide. This book focuses on central issues that are key components of successful planning, development and implementation of LSAs. The book s main distinction is its focus on practice- based, cutting-edge research. This is achieved by having chapters co-authored by world-class researchers in collaboration with measurement practitioners. The result is a how-to book whose language is accessible to practitioners and graduate students as well as academics.

No other book so thoroughly covers current issues in the field of large-scale assessment. An introductory chapter is followed by sixteen chapters that each focus on a specific issue. The content is prescriptive and didactic in nature but based on the most recent scientific research. It includes successful experiences, exemplary practices, training modules, interesting breakthroughs or alternatives, and promising innovations regarding large-scale assessments. Finally, it covers meaningful topics that are currently taking center stage such as motivating students, background questionnaires, comparability of different linguistic versions of assessments, and cognitive modeling of learning and assessment.