Assessment is for Learning: Formative Assessment
and Positive Learning Interactions
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1-16 |
Ian Clark, M.A.
University of Washington
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Wherever the challenge of promoting effective learning exists in our classrooms there also exists the
opportunity for better formative assessment. The time has passed when educational policy makers should
support practitioners and embrace the preponderance of relatively recent research which recommends
formative assessment interventions in the classroom. One such programme has been gathering increasing
momentum in recent years and has become known as Assessment for Learning (AfL). AfL uses formative
assessment methods to inform, support and enhance the learning process. The focus of this system is
placed on: the quality of learning, the provision of advice and feedback for improvement and a strong
emphasis on cooperative learning groups. AfL is founded upon five fundamental principles, all of which
revolve around the hub of positive interactions in the classroom: students must a) be able to understand
clearly what they are trying to learn, and what is expected of them; b) be given feedback about the quality
of their work; c) be given advice about how to go about making improvements; d) be fully involved in
deciding what needs to be done next, and e) be aware of who can give them that help.
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Supporting New Scholars: A Learner-Centered
Approach to New Faculty Orientation |
17-28 |
Roxanne Cullen, Ph.D.
Ferris State University
Michael Harris, Ph.D.
Kettering University
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[PDF] |
A new generation of faculty is entering the academic workforce and they are increasingly dissatisfied
with current working environments. Institutions must begin to address the changing nature of this new
generation. This article reports on a New Faculty Orientation program based on elements of the
learner-centered pedagogy. The goal was to achieve an atmosphere of trust and safety in a community of
scholars, to encourage collaboration and experimentation.
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Support and Resources for Site-Based Decision-Making
Councils: Perceptions of Former Council Members of
Two Large Kentucky School Districts |
29-49 |
William R. Schlinker, Ph.D.
Western Kentucky University
William E. Kelley, Ph.D.
Western Kentucky University
Mary Hall O’Phelan, Ph.D.
Western Kentucky University
Sharon Spall, Ph.D.
Western Kentucky University
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[PDF] |
Legislation has directed schools to convene school councils that typically address issues related to
curriculum, instruction, budget, and governance as one means to improve schooling. However, the
expectation for improved schools through this involvement remains a challenge. The study examined
issues connected to council operation in two large Kentucky school districts. Seventy-six former council
members responded to twenty-nine items on a mail-out questionnaire. The areas investigated included
training, support, and member effectiveness from the perspective of community members and teacher
members. The findings include suggestions to improve council effectiveness and new emphasis for
principal and member training.
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Site-Based Decision-Making: Views from Secondary
School Personnel |
50-61 |
Cindi Noel, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
John R. Slate, Ph.D.
Sam Houston State University
Michelle Stallone Brown, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Carmen Tejeda-Delgado, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
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[PDF] |
With the implementation of site-based decision-making occurring in schools, an understanding of the
views of secondary school principals and of secondary school teachers would provide valuable
information. In the study, six principals and six teachers, from either high performing or low performing
schools, were purposefully selected for their views of site-based decision-making at their respective
campuses. For the first research question in which campus characteristics associated with site-based
decision-making committees were sought, respondents provided three themes: collaboration;
voice/communication; and application/procedures. Regarding ways in which decision-making
committees were influencing the decision-making process on the campus level, the themes of site-based
decision-making team member composition, empowerment, and negative power were present. Concerning
how campus culture was influenced by site-based decision-making, participants responded in terms of the
themes of acceptance and of dissatisfaction. Findings and implications are discussed.
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| Book Reviews |
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Minority Student Retention: The Best of the Journal
of College Student Retention by Seidman, A. |
62-66 |
Reviewed by Hannah H. Covert
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Women Deans: Patterns of Power by Isaac, K. |
67-72 |
Reviewed by Sun-Young Kim
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[PDF] |
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