Why is assessment so important in the teaching-learning process? How should we assess pupils in the primary classroom? Assessing Learning in the Primary Classroom is an accessible introduction to the concepts critical to a professional understanding of this vital aspect of a teacher's role. It comprehensively considers the principles underpinning effective assessment, the different forms it can take and the different purposes it serves, both within and beyond the classroom.Linking the latest research and theory with examples of assessment in the classroom, it considers key issues such as: Why we assess How we assess How we ensure quality in assessment: validity and reliability Assessment internal and external to the school Statutory assessment throughout the primary school Local, national and international assessment Using assessment results in pupil, teacher, school and system evaluation Assessing Learning in the Primary Classroom is for all students undertaking their PGCE, those working at masters level, and experienced teachers who wish to broaden their understanding of both the value and pitfalls of educational assessment.

Given the academic benefits of assessment-driven teaching, and the growing accountability context of educational systems around the world, there is a rapidly developing need to educate teachers in effectively using assessments to promote, monitor, and report on student learning. However, assessment has historically been a neglected area in teacher education programmes, and empirical research has consistently shown assessment as an area of challenge for many teachers. While there is an increased focus across teacher education and professional literature on enhancing the assessment capacity of educators, there remains little empirical research on innovative and data-based strategies to effectively achieve this goal. The purpose of this text is to consolidate existing research on assessment education and to provoke innovative and effective approaches to educating teachers and teachers-in-training about assessment. Given the dearth of relevant research, this text also considers the matter of retention and extension of initial assessment learning into teaching careers. Combined, the articles in this text provide a foundation for novel thinking about developing teachers' assessment capacity from pre-service to in-service contexts. This book was originally published as a special issue of Assessment in Education.

Intended to help improve measurement and data collection methods in the behavioral, social, and medical sciences, this book demonstrates an expanded and accessible use of Generalizability Theory (G theory). G theory conceptually models the way in which the reliability of measurement is ascertained. Sources of score variation are identified as potential contributors to measurement error and taken into account accordingly. The authors demonstrate the powerful potential of G theory by showing how to improve the quality of any kind of measurement, regardless of the discipline.
Readers will appreciate the conversational style used to present a comprehensive review of G theory and its application using the freeware EduG. To maximize understanding the authors illustrate all fundamental principles with concrete examples from different fields and contexts. Annotated applications lead students through the main concepts of G theory, while illustrating both the use of EduG and interpretation of its output. Formulas are avoided wherever possible. Exercises with data sets available on the Psychology Press website allow readers to carry out their own analyses to reinforce understanding.

Brief overviews of analysis of variance, estimation, and the statistical error model are provided for review. The procedures involved in carrying out a generalizability study using EduG follow, as well as guidance in the interpretation of results. Real-world applications of G theory to the assessment of depression, managerial ability, attitudes, and writing and mathematical skills are then presented. Next, annotated exercises provide an opportunity for readers to use EduG and interpret its results. The book concludes with a review of the development of G theory and possible new directions of application. Finally, for those with a strong statistical background, the appendixes provide the formulas used by EduG.

Ideal as a supplement for courses on measurement theory and/or generalizability theory taught in departments of psychology, education, medicine, and the social sciences, this text will also appeal to researchers from a variety of fields interested in learning how to apply G theory to their studies.

Intended to help improve measurement and data collection methods in the behavioral, social, and medical sciences, this book demonstrates an expanded and accessible use of Generalizability Theory (G theory). G theory conceptually models the way in which the reliability of measurement is ascertained. Sources of score variation are identified as potential contributors to measurement error and taken into account accordingly. The authors demonstrate the powerful potential of G theory by showing how to improve the quality of any kind of measurement, regardless of the discipline.
Readers will appreciate the conversational style used to present a comprehensive review of G theory and its application using the freeware EduG. To maximize understanding the authors illustrate all fundamental principles with concrete examples from different fields and contexts. Annotated applications lead students through the main concepts of G theory, while illustrating both the use of EduG and interpretation of its output. Formulas are avoided wherever possible. Exercises with data sets available on the Psychology Press website allow readers to carry out their own analyses to reinforce understanding.

Brief overviews of analysis of variance, estimation, and the statistical error model are provided for review. The procedures involved in carrying out a generalizability study using EduG follow, as well as guidance in the interpretation of results. Real-world applications of G theory to the assessment of depression, managerial ability, attitudes, and writing and mathematical skills are then presented. Next, annotated exercises provide an opportunity for readers to use EduG and interpret its results. The book concludes with a review of the development of G theory and possible new directions of application. Finally, for those with a strong statistical background, the appendixes provide the formulas used by EduG.

Ideal as a supplement for courses on measurement theory and/or generalizability theory taught in departments of psychology, education, medicine, and the social sciences, this text will also appeal to researchers from a variety of fields interested in learning how to apply G theory to their studies.

The twenty-first century has witnessed an explosion in studies on comparative health studies, but mental health remains virtually ignored. Unlike the well researched topic of health policy, there is a gap in the marketplace covering mental health policy and health care policymaking. This book fills that gap; it is a comparative analysis of the implementation of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), an evidence-based practice employed in two states that promises to empower the well-being of individuals suffering from mental illness. Assertive Community Treatment specifically examines the tension separating the notion of client recovery and evidence-based programs. Johnson challenges the assumption that practitioners should rely on evidence-based practices to close the gap between scientific knowledge and practice. She argues that in an era of managed care, this encourages state mental health administrators to adopt policies that are overly focused on outcomes. Programs that can measure the outcomes of care provided, and evidence-based practices, have become central aspects of the quality care agenda. This study traces the role of policy entrepreneurs throughout the Assertive Community Treatment policymaking process. By differentiating mental health in general, qualitative research increases the chances of observing similarities and differences in outcomes. Johnson explains why the ACT model was adopted and implemented. She concludes that there is a clear monopoly by medical researchers and scientists within Assertive Community Treatment research, and as a result, too much emphasis is placed on the roles of policy entrepreneurs as the main innovators in the agenda and policy formulation stages. Johnson presents a strong argument for more innovation in the implementation stage.

The twenty-first century has witnessed an explosion in studies on comparative health studies, but mental health remains virtually ignored. Unlike the well researched topic of health policy, there is a gap in the marketplace covering mental health policy and health care policymaking. This book fills that gap; it is a comparative analysis of the implementation of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), an evidence-based practice employed in two states that promises to empower the well-being of individuals suffering from mental illness.

Assertive Community Treatment specifically examines the tension separating the notion of client recovery and evidence-based programs. Johnson challenges the assumption that practitioners should rely on evidence-based practices to close the gap between scientific knowledge and practice. She argues that in an era of managed care, this encourages state mental health administrators to adopt policies that are overly focused on outcomes. Programs that can measure the outcomes of care provided, and evidence-based practices, have become central aspects of the quality care agenda.

This study traces the role of policy entrepreneurs throughout the Assertive Community Treatment policymaking process. By differentiating mental health in general, qualitative research increases the chances of observing similarities and differences in outcomes. Johnson explains why the ACT model was adopted and implemented. She concludes that there is a clear monopoly by medical researchers and scientists within Assertive Community Treatment research, and as a result, too much emphasis is placed on the roles of policy entrepreneurs as the main innovators in the agenda and policy formulation stages. Johnson presents a strong argument for more innovation in the implementation stage.

Why is assessment so important in the teaching-learning process?

How should we assess pupils in the primary classroom?

Assessing Learning in the Primary Classroom is an accessible introduction to the concepts critical to a professional understanding of this vital aspect of a teacher s role. It comprehensively considers the principles underpinning effective assessment, the different forms it can take and the different purposes it serves, both within and beyond the classroom.

Linking the latest research and theory with examples of assessment in the classroom, it considers key issues such as:

• Why we assess
• How we assess
• How we ensure quality in assessment: validity and reliability
• Assessment internal and external to the school
• Statutory assessment throughout the primary school
• Local, national and international assessment
• Using assessment results in pupil, teacher, school and system evaluation

Assessing Learning in the Primary Classroom is for all students undertaking their PGCE, those working at masters level, and experienced teachers who wish to broaden their understanding of both the value and pitfalls of educational assessment.

Learn everything you need to know about medical coding with the practical and easy to understand UNDERSTANDING MEDICAL CODING: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE, 4E. Using clear, step-by-step instructions, you learn how to code a claim correctly and link the correct CPT and ICD-10-CM codes for reimbursement. You gain an understanding of adjustments, how and when to bill patients, and what to do in case of a denial or rejection. Thoroughly updated coverage introduces the industry's new standard: ICD-10-CM. This edition also details CPT coding and modifiers with more code-specific information and a concentration on specialty coding and levels of coding. Case studies, practice exercises, tips, examples, charts, and photos help improve your performance and ensure that you are well prepared to succeed in a medical coding position in a variety of today's professional settings.

Given the academic benefits of assessment-driven teaching, and the growing accountability context of educational systems around the world, there is a rapidly developing need to educate teachers in effectively using assessments to promote, monitor, and report on student learning. However, assessment has historically been a neglected area in teacher education programmes, and empirical research has consistently shown assessment as an area of challenge for many teachers. While there is an increased focus across teacher education and professional literature on enhancing the assessment capacity of educators, there remains little empirical research on innovative and data-based strategies to effectively achieve this goal. The purpose of this text is to consolidate existing research on assessment education and to provoke innovative and effective approaches to educating teachers and teachers-in-training about assessment. Given the dearth of relevant research, this text also considers the matter of retention and extension of initial assessment learning into teaching careers. Combined, the articles in this text provide a foundation for novel thinking about developing teachers' assessment capacity from pre-service to in-service contexts. This book was originally published as a special issue of Assessment in Education.

The 50th anniversary of NASA on 1 October 2008 found an agency in the midst of deep transition. In the closing year of the presidency of George W. Bush, only a month before the presidential election and in the midst of a worldwide economic crisis, the Agency was implementing a new Vision for Space Exploration intended to return humans to the Moon, to proceed onward to Mars, and to study the cosmos beyond. All of this was to be done not with new funding, but by ramping down the Space Shuttle Program that had been the centerpiece of human spaceflight for three decades and ramping up a new program known collectively as Constellation. The immediate elements of Constellation were a new launch vehicle, Ares I; an "Apollo on steroids" human capsule dubbed Orion; and the lunar lander Altair. Huge decisions were being made that would likely affect the Agency for decades to come. In short, a new era of spaceflight was dawning-or at least that was NASA's fondest hope. It was in this milieu that the History Division at NASA Headquarters commissioned oral history interviews to be undertaken with NASA senior management. This volume is the result and provides a snapshot of the thinking of NASA senior leadership on the occasion of its 50th anniversary and in the midst of these sea changes. It is all the more valuable from an historical point of view because of the large changes that have again taken place since the 50th anniversary. Since the interviews could not be done instantaneously, this volume is the result of conversations recorded during 2007 and 2008. The interviews were facilitated by Rebecca Wright and Sandra Johnson of the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, and the whole program was under my guidance as the NASA Chief Historian at Headquarters in Washington, DC. Recordings and transcripts are available at JSC and Headquarters and are now part of the Agency's considerable oral history efforts of the past several decades.

The frequency bands being used for new satellite communication systems are constantly increasing to accommodate the requirements for additional capacity. At these higher frequencies, propagation impairments that did not significantly affect the signal at lower frequencies begin to have considerable impact. In Ka-band, the next logical commercial frequency band to be used for satellite communication, attenuation of the signal due to rain is a primary concern. An experimental satellite built by NASA, the Advanced Communication Technology Satellite (ACTS), launched in September 1993, is the first US communication satellite operating in the Ka-band. In addition to higher carrier frequencies, a number of other new technologies, including onboard baseband processing, multiple beam antennas, and rain fade detection and compensation techniques, were designed into the ACTS. Verification experiments have been conducted since the launch to characterize the new technologies. The focus of this thesis is to describe and validate the method used by the ACTS Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) ground stations in detecting the presence of fade in the communication signal and to adaptively compensate for it by the addition of burst rate reduction and forward error correction. Measured data obtained from the ACTS program is used to validate the compensation technique. In this thesis, models in MATLAB are developed to statistically characterize the increased availability achieved by the compensation techniques in terms of the bit error rate time enhancement factor. Several improvements to the ACTS technique are discussed and possible implementations for future Ka-band systems are also presented.

In Paranormal Realities II, the second installment in the series, demonologist Keith Johnson (formerly of TAPS and SyFy's Ghost Hunters) shares more of his most intriguing experiences from nearly four decades of investigating the paranormal. In these short stories Keith describes assisting clients and families with malevolent hauntings and shares interesting accounts of local New England folklore. Featured is a special foreword by Brian Harnois, formerly of SyFy's Ghost Hunters and GHI.

Sandra writes about situations that come up just living life. Poetic Expressions is a compilation of events that occurred during a vivid awareness of past times. These poems cause a reminiscence of or reflection of readers' experiences. Therefore, a connection is forms, attracting a wanting to read on. Sandra's poems are really down to earth and easy to follow for understanding. Adults and children can enjoy the humor and humility Sandra expresses. She loves to write poems, to write poetry, to read, to dance, and sometimes to jog for relaxation. In addition and by request, she can write poetry for special events, whether about holidays, bereavements, weddings, graduations, or personal situations.

Sandra writes about situations that come up just living life. Poetic Expressions is a compilation of events that occurred during a vivid awareness of past times. These poems cause a reminiscence of or reflection of readers' experiences. Therefore, a connection is forms, attracting a wanting to read on. Sandra's poems are really down to earth and easy to follow for understanding. Adults and children can enjoy the humor and humility Sandra expresses. She loves to write poems, to write poetry, to read, to dance, and sometimes to jog for relaxation. In addition and by request, she can write poetry for special events, whether about holidays, bereavements, weddings, graduations, or personal situations.

Eighteen-year old Sharon Glover and her twenty-year old sister Sonia had been living together for three years since the death of their parents. The sisters had a close relationship until they both became attracted to Phillip Mendel I. However, the attraction between Sharon and Phillip is obvious from the beginning. When Phillip and Sharon fell in-love Sonia set out to keep them apart. Things is complicated further when Sonia enlist Sharon best friend, David to help her keep Phillip and Sharon apart. David who is also in-love with Sharon agrees to help after Sonia convinced him that Phillip was a dangerous man. The plot to separate Phillip and Sharon leads betrayal, obsession, death and a new beginning.