Strengthening the Preparation of Early Childhood Teacher Candidates Through Performance-Based Assessments

Performance-based assessments require teacher candidates to demonstrate proficiency on specific teaching tasks and apply knowledge in authentic settings. This article describes the development and use of performance-based assessments (PBAs) for advancing the learning and evaluation of teacher candidates in an early childhood special education teacher preparation program. Teacher candidates completed PBAs under supervision during culminating practica experiences at three age levels (infant/toddler, preschool, and primary practicum). Methods for determining proficiency on national (Council for Exceptional Children) and state (Colorado teacher licensure) standards are described, along with the challenges and opportunities presented by the use of PBAs. Performance-based assessment data over a 5-year period indicate teacher candidate performance meeting and exceeding national standards and state licensure requirements.     

Status of Individuals' Planning to Prepare for Retirement in Turkey

This research was conducted in Ankara province for the purpose of examining the status of planning in preparation for retirement as an individual and as a family of individuals who show differences in educational level. Individuals who lived in Ankara province, who were 3 years from retirement according to age limit, and who had social security from one of the three official government plans (The Pensions Fund For Civil Servants of The Republic of Turkey, Social Insurance Institution, or Social Security Organization of Artisans, and Craftsmen and other Self-Employed People) were the research population from which 393 individuals were chosen using the Stratified Random Sampling Method. There was a higher percentage of individuals who stated that they had not planned for retirement than those who had. Of the individuals who stated that they had made plans, 80.7% had made those plans about their financial status. Individuals who thought that it was necessary to have an educational program for preparing for retirement also wanted “financial status” topics at the head of the list of topics for such a program.     

Performance in solving arithmetic problems: a comparison of children with different levels of achievement in mathematics and reading

The aim of the present study was to investigate the performance in arithmetic related to achievement levels in reading and mathematics. Basic arithmetical facts and multi‐step calculations were examined. The participants were 941 pupils aged 8 (N = 415), 10 (N = 274) and 13 (N = 252) years. The pupils were divided into four groups by standardized achievement tests. One group showed low achievement in both mathematics and reading (MLRL), a second group showed low achievement in mathematics only (ML‐only), a third group in reading only (RL‐only) and a fourth group showed normal achievement in both mathematics and reading (NA). The ML‐only and the MLRL groups did not differ significantly in basic arithmetical facts at any age level, but both groups performed below the RL‐only and NA groups. The two latter groups also performed similarly at all year levels. In multi‐step calculation all groups differed significantly at the lowest age level, with the NA as the group with the best achievement, followed by RL‐only, ML‐only and the MLRL group. At the two highest age levels the relations between the groups, in multi‐step calculation, were in accordance with the results regarding basic facts. The findings indicate, for both normal and low general mathematical ability, that low achievement in reading to a small extent interferes with the pupils’ development of arithmetic performance     

Making Sense of Academic Development

One aim of student evaluation of instruction is the improvement of teaching quality, but there is little evidence that student assessment of instruction alone improves teaching. This study tried to improve the effects of evaluation by combining evaluation with individual counselling in an institutional development approach. Evaluation was conducted in a private school for speech therapy (logopedia) in 35 classes (N = 16 teachers, N = 592 students). Evaluation was done twice within a period of three to twelve months using a standardized questionnaire (HILVE‐II) developed for evaluation of university courses. The intervention effect on teaching quality was more than half a standard deviation on the teacher scales. Despite the fact that the counsellor had no pedagogical training, the quality of teaching not only improved quantitatively and qualitatively but also became more homogeneous although the relative rank listing of teachers did not change.

Ein Ziel der studentischen Lehrevaluation ist die Verbesserung von Lehrqualität. Es gibt aber wenig empirische Evidenz dafür, dass studentische Lehrevaluation allein Lehre verbessern kann. Diese Studie versuchte, die Effekte von Veranstaltungskritik in einem Ansatz, der Lehrevaluation mit Beratung verbindet, zu erhöhen. Lehrveranstaltungsevaluation wurde in einem privaten Ausbildungsinstitut für Logopädie in 35 Kursen von 16 Dozenten mit 592 Studierenden durchgeführt. Veranstaltungskritik wurde zweimal praktiziert binnen eines Zeitabschnitts von drei bis zwölf Monaten anhand eines Fragebogens (HILVE‐II), der für die Evaluation von Hochschulveranstaltungen entwickelt wurde. Der Verbesserungseffekt auf Lehrqualität war in den dozentenbezogenen Skalen größer als eine halbe Standardabweichung. Obwohl der Berater keine pädagogische Ausbildung hatte, verbesserte sich die Lehrqualität nicht nur in den quantitativen und qualitativen Maßen, sondern wurde auch homogener. Die relative Rangreihung innerhalb der Dozenten blieb aber stabil.

Un des objectifs de l’évaluation, par les étudiants, de l’enseignement est l’amélioration de la qualité de ce dernier. Pourtant, les preuves que l’évaluation de l’enseignement par les étudiants améliore celui‐ci sont limitées. Cette étude a tenté d’améliorer les effets de l’évaluation en combinant l’évaluation avec du conseil individuel au sein d’une approche de développement institutionnel. L’évaluation a été effectuée dans 35 classes (N = 16 enseignants, N = 592 étudiants) d’une école privée d’orthophonie (logopédie). L’évaluation a été effectuée deux fois sur une période variant de trois à seize mois en employant un questionnaire standard (HILVE‐II) développé pour l’évaluation des cours universitaires. L’effet relatif à la qualité de l’enseignement associé à l’intervention représentait plus d’un demi écart‐type sur l’échelle des enseignants. En dépit du fait que le conseiller n’avait pas de formation pédagogique, la qualité de l’enseignement s’est améliorée à la fois au plan quantitatif et au plan qualitatif, en plus de devenir davantage homogène, bien que le positionnement relatif des enseignants n’ait pas changé.     

Vapor-liquid equilibrium simulation of binary and ternary mixtures of CH4, C2H4 and iso-C4H10

The vapor-liquid equilibrium（VLE） properties for the binary and ternary mixtures of CH4,C2H4 and isoC4H10 are of great importance in the recovery of ethylene from mixture containing CH4 and C2H4 with iso-C4H10 as solvent.Hence,Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo（GEMC） simulations were used to estimate vapor-liquid equilibrium for the binary and ternary mixtures of CH4,C2H4 and iso-C4H10 with the united atom potential NERD model.The selected simulation conditions are based on the experiment in the literature.The results of this work were shown to be in satisfactory agreement with available experimental data and predictions of Peng-Robinson equation of state.The structure of simulated liquid phase is also characterized by radial distribution function（RDF）,which contributes to further understanding of the VLE curve of these systems.RDF is not sensitive to the pressure and temperature range.With the increase of pressure or the decrease of temperature,the molecules tend to gather together.     

Changing the English Classroom: When Large-scale ‘Common’ Testing Meets Secondary Curriculum and Instruction in the United States

This article explores the intersection of new, large-scale standards-based testing, teacher accountability policy, and secondary curriculum and instruction in the United States. Two federally funded consortia – the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and the Partnership for Readiness of College and Careers – prove focal to this paper, as these two organisations are creating new tests that will assess 42–49% of the K–12 student population in the United States in 2014–2015. Because greater teacher accountability for student performance will be given for these tests, there is more reason to pay attention to what these tests measure and what they do not. Our analysis suggests that these new tests will hold secondary English teachers accountable for literacy and disciplinary knowledge outside the field of English and thus raise important questions about what English teachers should, can and will do, especially when their jobs are on the line.     

Enhancing the Executive Functions of 3‐Year‐Olds in the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task

Executive functions enable flexible thinking, something young children are notoriously bad at. For instance, in the dimensional change card sort (DCCS) task, 3‐year‐olds can sort cards by one dimension (shape), but continue to sort by this dimension when asked to switch (to color). This study tests a prediction of a dynamic neural field model that prior experience with the postswitch dimension can enhance 3‐year‐olds' performance in the DCCS. In Experiment 1A, a matching game was used to preexpose 3‐year‐olds (n = 36) to color. This facilitated switching from sorting by shape to color. In 3 , 3‐year‐olds (n = 18) were preexposed to shape. This did not facilitate switching from sorting by color to shape. The model was used to explain this asymmetry.     

The Grass Isn’t Always Greener: Perceptions of and Performance on Open-Note Exams

Undergraduate biology education is often viewed as being focused on memorization rather than development of students’ critical-thinking abilities. We speculated that open-note testing would be an easily implemented change that would emphasize higher-order thinking. As open-note testing is not commonly used in the biological sciences and the literature on its effects in biology education is sparse, we performed a comprehensive analysis of this intervention on a primary literature–based exam across three large-enrollment laboratory courses. Although students believed open-note testing would impact exam scores, we found no effect on performance, either overall or on questions of nearly all Bloom’s levels. Open-note testing also produced no advantage when examined under a variety of parameters, including research experience, grade point average, course grade, prior exposure to primary literature–focused laboratory courses, or gender. Interestingly, we did observe small differences in open- and closed-note exam performance and perception for students who experienced open-note exams for an entire quarter. This implies that student preparation or in-test behavior can be altered by exposure to open-note testing conditions in a single course and that ­increased experience may be necessary to truly understand the impact of this intervention.     

The determinants of progress to the doctoral degree

The time doctoral students expect to take to complete their degree is investigated in a model which stresses the effects of economic factors. The model also accounts for the interdependency among such variables as employment hours, study hours, household income, and part-time study. We find that field of study, amount of borrowing, household income, and study hours have direct effects on expected time to degree. Indirect effects also occur from employment hours and the amount of fellowship, scholarship, or grant aid. When the sample is separated into foreign and U.S. students, we find that U.S. students underestimate their time to degree. Also, household incomes are higher for U.S. students and increase the time to degree, while the opposite is true for foreign students. Teaching assistantships increase the time to degree for foreign students while research assistantships reduce it.