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The article focuses on the importance of professional learning in addressing current educational challenges. Topics include prioritizing learning goals to recover from pandemic-related learning declines, guiding students through social and political tensions, and adapting instructional methods to the rapid evolution of technology, particularly artificial intelligence and highlights the need for credible evidence on the effectiveness of professional learning.

The article describes an approach for developing an evaluation plan for professional learning focused on student assessment. Topics covered include the importance of high-quality evaluation, the five necessary levels of evaluation for professional learning experiences, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student engagement and many other aspects of educational systems.

The article discusses how teachers explaining students not learning well or not reaching expected levels of achievement. Topics include Elizabeth Foster reviewing a study that considering this issue; Margaret Evans and her colleagues investigating teachers' perceptions of student achievement data; and study focusing on the work of six grade-level teams of teachers meeting biweekly to discuss various examples of student performance data.

The article discusses the importance of having a clear goal or destination for effective professional learning. Educators are advised to determine what they want to achieve, the evidence they can use to verify that they have achieved their goals, as well as possible unintended consequences. Careful analysis of current data on student learning is also suggested.

The article explores five critical levels of information in effective professional learning evaluation, which was adopted from the evaluation model developed by Kirkpatrick for assessing the value of supervisory training programs. Topics discussed include the importance of assessing participant experience in professional learning initiatives, the impact of professional learning on an organization and the effect of teacher development on students' learning.

The article discusses the key points to develop the best strategy in evaluating professional learning. It mentions the need for educators to begin planning all professional endeavors rather than describing what they hope to accomplish and setting forth criteria by which success will be judged. It notes the multiple sources of evidence when providing acceptable proof for judging the effects of professional learning. The best way to ensure transparency in assessing students is also tackled.

The article discusses the model used in evaluating the effectiveness of the Ramp-Up Program which aims to improve the learning progress of high school students in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky. It notes that the model starts with the reaction of participants to the experience, considers their learning, and looks into organization support and change. It also records the student's use of new knowledge and skills and assesses the program's impact to their learning.

The problem of achievement gaps among different subgroups of students has been evident in education for many years. This manuscript revisits the work of renowned educator Benjamin S. Bloom, who saw reducing gaps in the achievement of various groups of students as a simple problem of reducing variation in student learning outcomes. Bloom observed that teaching all students in the same way and giving all the same time to learn—that is, providing little variation in the instruction—typically results in great variation in student learning. Students for whom the instructional methods and amount of time are appropriate learn well, and those for whom the methods and time are less appropriate learn less well. Bloom believed that all students could be helped to reach a high criterion of learning if both the instructional methods and time were varied to better match students' individual learning needs. In other words, to reduce variation in the achievement of diverse groups of students and have all students learn well, Bloom argued that educators and teachers must increase variation in instructional approaches and learning time. Bloom labeled the strategy to accomplish this instructional variation and differentiation mastery learning.Research evidence shows that the positive effects of mastery learning are not limited to cognitive or achievement outcomes. The process also yields improvements in students' confidence in learning situations, school attendance rates, involvement in class sessions, attitudes toward learning, and a variety of other affective measures.

Focuses on the Standards-based system, a scheme designed by professional development leaders. Basis of the Standards-based system; Prevalence of the system in the curriculum development; Reason behind the development of the system; Essential elements of Standards-based system.

Discusses the importance of accountability in the professional development programs for teachers in the U.S. Relevance of the No Child Left Behind Act in establishing the importance of accountability in the professional development programs; Concept of accountability; Reception of the professional development leaders on accountability.

Discusses the alternatives to zero in the school grading system. Consequences of assigning I or Incomplete grades; Importance of a separate report on a student's behavioral aspects; Feasibility of abandoning the zero grade in motivating students.

Focuses on the alternatives to the use of "zero" in grading students. Categories of responses of teachers on how they use grading systems; Reasons why teachers use zeros as their ultimate grading weapon; Assignment of "I" or "Incomplete" grades; Reporting of behavioral aspects separately; Changes in grading scales.

Focuses on steps involved in the evaluation of staff development programs. Need to know objective of the development program; Discussion on whether evaluation questions reflect interest of primary users of the evaluation results; Effectiveness of the evaluation that has been assessed.

ABSTRACTVeterinary medical educators use a variety of methods for calculating student grades. Most educators assume grades will be valid as long as the mathematical calculations underpinning each grading method are correct. The purpose of this “teaching tip” is to demonstrate and discuss how mathematical precision does not necessarily equate to truthful scores that accurately reflect what students know or can do. We contend that this topic is of considerable importance to all veterinary educators who assign grades, and to academic deans who make decisions about grading policies.

As a result, many school districts, including the MartinCounty School District in Stuart, Fla., abandonedpercentage grades and now use the five-category A-Fletter grade scale and its associated numerical values of4-0. In addition,because achievement grades are no longer tainted byevidence based on students' compliance or work habits,those grades more closely align with external measures ofachievement and content mastery, such as stateassessments, AP exam results and ACT or SAT scores. Of course, teachers still had to determine specificcriteria for "satisfactory" grades and develop proceduresfor students to resolve "incomplete" grades. [Extracted from the article]

This article presents a model that describes the process of teacher change, particularly through staff development programs. The model suggests a temporal sequence of events that is hypothesized to typify the process front staff development to enduring change in teachers’ perceptions and attitudes. Research evidence supporting the model is summarized and the conditions under which change might be facilitated are described. Several principles for enhancing the change process to improve staff development efforts are also outlined.

The objective of this study was to examine systematically the variance in earned credit rates (percent of students earning A, B, C, or D) in an urban community college system. An ANOVA design was employed to estimate the independent effects of four independent variables: college, department, course, and teacher (nested within college by department). The results of the analysis indicate significant effects on earned credit rates due to college, department, and teacher. Differences between colleges and between teachers within departments in colleges account for the preponderance of the variance. This paper contains a discussion of departmental staff development tactics.

Wright (1977) outlined procedures for equating tests and test scores using the Rasch model. This paper summarizes the results of a study in which those Rasch model procedures are used to calibrate and then to link vertically six levels of the Reading Comprehension Test of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. The derived Rasch ability scale estimates are then compared to norm-referenced, grade-equiva lent scale estimates for scores across the test levels. The results of these comparisons suggest that where discrepancies in the two scales emerge, the more accurate and perhaps more useful measure is provided by the Rasch scale.

A longitudinal study indicates that bused pupils' academic achievement persists or increases.

Often students with intense education needs or students with low incidents disabilities living in rural areas are served in more restrictive environments such as: out of district residential placement; home-bound instruction; or in isolated, one-on-one tutoring (Zeph,1991). Mastery learning is now being used in many rural schools throughout the midwest to facilitate the inclusion of students with intense educational needs into the regular classroom. The case of Stephanie, a rural South Dakota girl with Down Syndrome, verifies the success of mastery learning as a viable model for inclusion.

This study was designed to determine whether the more favorable learning conditions provided by mastery learning procedures result in higher levels of achievement and more internal attributions on the part of college students. One hundred twenty-two undergraduate students enrolled in a general education course at a large state university participated in the study. Results showed that although students in mastery-taught sections did attain significantly higher levels of achievement no differences in attribution change were identified. Possible reasons for the lack of attribution change are discussed.

The Mastery Learning Program was initiated in the City Colleges of Chicago to improve student achievement levels and reduce course attrition rates. During the first year, 37 instructors implemented these new instructional techniques in introductory courses in nine subject areas. Data were gathered from 77 classes involving 2,249 students. Results indicate that in most of the subject areas, students in mastery classes scored higher on final examinations, attained higher course grades, and were less likely to withdraw than students taught by more traditional methods.

In this article the author discusses ways in which the first two weeks of a school year can be influential in determining a students academic success throughout the rest of the year. He argues that a student's perception of their possibilities for success within a class is greatly influenced by their performance on introductory quizzes and tests and urges teachers, school leaders, and parents to focus on this time period as an essential step in positive student motivation.

The author makes the case for U.S. educational standards, which outline what students should know and what skills they should develop. He applauds the effort of the National Governors' Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers to develop the Common Core States Standards Initiative. He notes that standards provide a core of what students need to learn, but teachers make the subject area relevant to them. He notes that balance is required between guidance and overspecifying.

The article presents arguments of two professors on whether high school should have valedictorians. One professor believes that recognizing the top student rewards hard work and scholarship and if schools recognize athletes for sports young people who succeed in academics should also be recognized. Another professor counters that the selection process for just one valedictorian results in bitter competition among top students often leading to broken friendships, diminished collaboration and tense atmosphere.