Developing Embedded Signature Assessments for Continuous Improvement in Teacher Education

The development and use of assessment systems to measure the performance and progress of teacher candidates and inform the continuous improvement of teacher education programs has been a longstanding priority in teacher education for the past 30 years. Teacher educators in the School of Education at a small public midwestern university revised and improved their assessment system by developing seven Embedded Signature Assessments (ESAs). ESAs are formative performance assessments that are implemented in professional education courses to measure a teacher candidate’s performance prior to student teaching and readiness for student teaching. This article describes the development and implementation of ESAs at one university, with attention to the benefits and challenges.     

大学生日常表现量化考核体系的构建与实践

大学生日常表现量化考核体系旨在设计一套完整的大学生日常表现监测表,通过对学生日常参加活动的考勤,力求用数字形式反映学生在思想、学习、生活上的活跃度,用数字记录每一位大学生的成长轨迹。通过对S学院医学系2017级学生实施大学生日常表现量化考核办法,发现其结果可以为校内评优评先和就业单位挑选人才提供量化依据。此外,由于量化考核体系本身带有奖惩性,在推行的过程中极大地提高了学生的自律性,从而增强了班级自我管理能力和班级凝聚力。最后,量化考核体系在运行过程中也能对预测学生心理危机起到一定的辅助作用。     

The effect of high-stakes examination systems on teacher beliefs: Egyptian teachers’ conceptions of assessment

Egypt is currently attempting to introduce a greater formative use of assessment while maintaining a public examination system. This study investigates teacher beliefs about the purposes of assessment in Egypt, using the Teachers’ Conceptions of Assessment (TCoA) inventory. The TCoA inventory elicits responses about four main factors: Improvement, School Accountability, Student Accountability and Irrelevance. A large sample of (n?=?507) Egyptian pre-service and in-service teachers completed an Arabic version of the TCoA inventory. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the Egyptian teachers’ responses against the pre-existing New Zealand model, which was found to be inadmissible. Consequently, an ecologically rational three-factor model was found. The model yielded a strong positive relationship between Improvement and Student Accountability, consistent with previous studies. It is argued that greater changes to the examination system are required if teacher beliefs are expected to be more positive about the priority of formative, improvement-oriented uses of assessment.     

对美国教育语境中问责涵义的考察

在美国教育文献中,"accountability"是一个经常出现的关键词.目前,国内学者对此词翻译不一,一方面说明研究者对它涵义的理解各有侧重,另一方面也说明它本身涵义的复杂性.本文意在探寻"accountability"在美国教育情境中的真实涵义,以帮助国内学者更好地理解美国教育的问责特征.笔者从"责任、制度、绩效评价和管理、信息流动"四个维度对美国教育问责的涵义进行考察.责任是问责的静态涵义和直观体认;而从制度层面理解,问责并不意味着绩效评价、信息公开或实施奖惩某种单一管理活动,它将这些全部涵盖且有所超越和延伸,折射出问责本身涵义的丰富性.     

从“学业水平测试”制度管窥韩国的基础教育质量保障体系

近年来,在PISA、TIMMS等国际学业水平测试中的卓越表现使韩国的基础教育倍受关注。而这些成绩与韩国十几年来建构的以学业评价为主要手段的基础教育质量保障体系是密不可分的。本文试图以韩国教育科学技术部定期在全国范围内实施的"学业水平测试"制度现状及其问题为主要线索,来管窥韩国的基础教育质量保障体系。     

Design and Implementation of Parallel Virtual Machine on GM

1.1 BackgroundThe SU'HPCS (Shanghai Ufllverslty HighPerfor-mance Computing System) Is a 144-processorLlnux cluster constricted from commodity personalcomputer teChnology it is designed tO be dedicated tOhigh performance computing for computationalenglneenng and scientific problems We have nowconstructed many parallel environmentS m SUHPCS,such as MPll'], PVMI"'], BSP14], and DSMI'], as well asHPFI61, tO help users enroll their aPPlications intOParallel comPUting system But o…     

The Practicum in Teacher Training: A preliminary and qualitative assessment of the improved National Institute of Education-School Partnership Model in Singapore

In light of the recognition of the limitations that training institutes and teacher educators have in providing sound practical experience to trainee teachers, the National Institute of Education (NIE) in 1999 embarked on an improved Partnership Model with schools playing a greater role in this cooperation. This model was implemented with the Post Graduate Diploma in Education programme. This paper describes the rationale and context within which the new model was proposed and implemented. It also provides a qualitative and preliminary assessment of the extent to which the objectives of the new model have or are being met, what problems were encountered and how these were resolved, through feedback obtained from principals, School Coordinating Mentors, the NIE Supervision Coordinators and trainee teachers.     

基于Myrinet上消息传递系统GM的并行虚拟机的设计与实现

Parallel virtual machine(PVM) has been a prevalent parallel computing environment for heterogeneous systems. The generic portion of PVM is implemented on the basis of TCP/IP in result of high cost and low performance in communication. This paper describes the design and implementation of GMPVM(parallel virtual machine based on Myrinet message passing system), a PVM portion based on Myrinet's GM API(message passing system on Myrinet). The goal of this work is to make the maximum use of the high bandwidth and low latency of Myrinet; to provide PVM portion with a user-level, light weighted communication subsystem. GMPVM is developed on ZiQiang-2000 (SUHPCS). The difference between PVM and GMPVM is figured out here, and also some optimization technique discussed.     

差异化绩效责任制:美国中小学均衡发展的新举措

21世纪以来,美国加强绩效责任制的应用来推进中小学的均衡发展,进一步引入灵活性和差异性元素,建立更加符合学校改进实际的差异化绩效责任制。通过这种灵活的新模式,联邦教育部希望对落后学校、学区进行有针对性、实质性的干预和介入,从而改善这些学校或学区的绩效状况,提升其教育教学质量,促进学区之间、学校之间在更高水平上的均衡发展。     

Testing the effectiveness of classroom formative assessment in Dutch primary mathematics education

Classroom formative assessment (CFA) is considered to be a fundamental part of effective teaching, as it is presumed to enhance student performance. However, there is only limited empirical evidence to support this notion. In this effect study, a quasi-experiment was conducted to compare 2 conditions. In the treatment condition, 17 teachers implemented a CFA model containing both daily and weekly goal-directed instruction, assessment, and immediate instructional feedback for students who needed additional support. In the control condition, 17 teachers implemented a modification to their usual practice. They assessed their students’ mastery of learning goals on the basis of half-yearly mathematics tests, and prepared weekly pre-teaching sessions for groups of low-achieving students. The posttests showed no significant differences in student performance between the 2 conditions after controlling for student and teacher characteristics. The degree of implementation of the CFA model, however, appeared to be positively related to the 5th-grade students’ performance.     

Implementing Free Primary Education Policy in Malawi and Ghana: Equity and Efficiency Analysis

Malawi and Ghana are among the numerous Sub-Saharan Africa countries that have in recent years introduced Free Primary Education (FPE) policy as a means to realizing the 2015 Education for All and Millennium Development Goals international targets. The introduction of FPE policy is, however, a huge challenge for any national government that has experienced declining or slow economic growth and heavily relied on charging fees to parents and other sources to finance the education system. It follows, therefore, that the approach taken in implementing the FPE policy has implications for equity and efficiency in the education sector. Malawi and Ghana have differently implemented FPE policy. In this article we assess the impact of the implementation approach taken by each of the two countries on equity and efficiency in their education systems.     

构建以学生为中心的本科教育质量评价指标体系——试析美国“本科教育良好实践指标”手册

建立科学的评价指标体系是提高本科教育质量的重要手段.美国全国高等教育管理系统中心开发的本科教育良好实践指标体系在美国高教界具有广泛的影响.本文详细分析了其产生背景、管理哲学、测量方法、测量量表以及应用效果、成功经验等,希望能够对我国的本科教育评估工作有所启示.     

两级管理模式下系部教学工作考核的创新与实践——以江苏农林职业技术学院为例

实行院系两级教学管理模式,教学工作的重心下移至各系部,科学、合理、全面地考核系部的教学工作,对最大限度地调动系部教学管理的积极性,切实有效地提高教学质量,有着十分重要的导向性意义。以教学常规管理工作、年度教学重点工作和教学效果为三大考核指标体系,初步建立了"过程考核与结果考核相结合、常规工作与重点工作相结合、普查与抽查相结合、定量考核与定性考核相结合"的系部教学工作考核模式,提升了教学管理水平,促进了教育教学改革,提高了人才培养质量。     

Strategies to Motivate Students for Program Assessment

Accountability in higher education has increased, with more institutions requiring standardized tests. These tests are high stakes for institutions, but low-stakes test for students, who seldom experience consequences for their performance. This study describes how one psychology department improved students' scores on the Psychology Area Concentration Achievement Test. Results were compared between three motivation conditions: no incentive, a monetary incentive, and a motivational Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. The presentation gave students information about the assessment, encouraged them to do well, and informed them that faculty would discuss scores while evaluating the psychology program. Results showed that test scores were significantly higher and correlated significantly with grade point average for students exposed to the motivational presentation. The motivational PowerPoint presentation seemed to have reduced the number of underachieving students and provided more accurate assessment data, with minimal investment in time and effort on the part of faculty.     

Continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE): policy and practice at the national level

There is a growing agreement among the academic community, in schools and among researchers, concerning the advantages of formative assessment and the limitations of large-scale assessment. In this paper, the school-based assessment reform of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) popularly known in India as continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) is studied in the context of the curriculum policy outlined by the National Focus Group (NFG) on Examination Reforms and the National Curriculum Framework 2005 (NCF 2005). The necessity, importance and scope of CCE have been a matter of debate among stakeholders. This paper focuses on how curriculum planners have conceived of school-based assessment and how it is implemented by CBSE. Though CBSE makes extensive reference to NCF 2005 in its manual, its scheme of CCE contradicts with the philosophy of that framework. At the same time, CBSE's CCE is more in alignment with the position of the NFG, which formed the basis for NCF 2005 on students’ assessment. The author considers that these conceptual differences in policy and implementation framework have created confusion. Furthermore, decentralised decision-making on assessment, less rigid recording and reporting procedures, flexible timeframes, and continuous engagement with teachers are necessary for effective implementation of CCE.     

“双一流”建设背景下实验室安全绩效初探

在"双一流"建设背景下,一流实验室建设是必不可少的关键环节。为更好地服务高校的教学、科研活动,对实验室安全管理提出了更高的要求。通过参考企业安全绩效实践经验,对照教育部有关高校实验室安全检查指标体系要求,设置了实验室安全绩效的内容,跟踪实验室运行过程中有关安全工作的执行效果。并对开展实验室安全绩效及运行机制实施提出了初步设想。最后对开展实验室安全绩效的预期成效进行了展望。     

客观等距量尺在高考评价指标体系中的应用与构想

客观等距量尺指标研究对改进和完善现行高考抽样调查问卷提供了新的思考方式。基于2007年高考抽样调查问卷和收集到的相关数据,应用Rasch测量客观等距量尺简单化假设出"高考反映考生真实学习状况"评价量尺指标.实证性展示了Rasch测量客观等距量尺分析模式和2007年12个抽样省市数据客观描述。最后探讨了基于高考客观等距量尺评价指标体系开展教育质量评价的构想。     

Linking early alert systems and student retention: a survival analysis approach

Higher education institutions are increasingly seeking technological solutions to not only enhance the learning environment but also support students. In this study, we explored the case of an early alert system (EAS) at a regional university engaged in both on-campus and online teaching. Using a total of 16,142 observations captured between 2011 and 2013, we examined the relationship between EAS and the student retention rate. The results indicate that when controlling for demographic, institution, student performance and workload variables, the EAS is able to identify students who have a significantly higher risk of discontinuing from their studies. This implies that early intervention strategies are effective in addressing student retention, and thus an EAS is able to provide actionable information to the student support team.     

国外农民教育培训的经验及启示

发达国家的农民教育培训已经走过近三百年的历程。在农民教育培训的发展过程中,一些发达国家根据本国的具体情况建立了具有自己特色的培训模式,这些农民培训模式的建立与实施,不但满足了农民对培训的需求,提高了其科技素质,而且也对世界上其他国家农民培训体制的建立产生了重大影响。     

Asking questions of (what) assessment (should do) for learning: the case of bite-sized assessment for learning in Singapore

The recent focus on AfL has shifted from defining its scope and extent to understanding its implementation, and research has revealed AfL implementation to be complex and contested. AfL implementation is especially challenging in national contexts that emphasise high stakes examination performance and grades. One such example is the nation state of Singapore, which recently implemented Assessment for Learning nation-wide in all its primary schools in the form of “bite-sized assessment”. This article examines how bite-sized assessment in Singapore came to be implemented as a form of AfL, and how it was subsequently constructed as policy dictate, as opposed to being recognised as a form of best practice. A study of teachers’ perspectives of bite-sized assessment practices in Singapore primary schools reveals inconsistency between policy intent and school implementation. An inquiry-based approach is recommended for teachers to frame AfL implementation as a practice to be understood, rather than a package of pre-determined practices to be administered.