...RESEARCH RESULTS AND IMPLICATIONS Few programs have been implemented as broadly or evaluated as thoroughly over the last four decades in education as those associated with mastery learning. Programs based on mastery learning principles operate today in nations throughout the world and at every level of education. When compared to traditionally taught classes, students in mastery learning classes consistently have been shown to learn better, reach higher levels of achievement, and develop greater confidence in their ability to learn and in themselves as learners (Guskey, 1997, 2001). THE DEVELOPMENT OF MASTERY LEARNING Although the basic tenets of mastery learning can be traced to such early educators as Comenius, Pestalozzi, and Herbart (Bloom, 1974), most modern applications stem from the writings of Benjamin S. Bloom of the University of Chicago. In the mid-1960s Bloom began a series of investigations on the variation that existed in student learning outcomes. He recognized that while Figure 1ILLUSTRATION BY GGS INFORMATION SERVICES. CENGAGE LEARNING, GALE. students vary widely in their learning rates, virtually all learn well when provided with the necessary time and appropriate learning conditions. If teachers could provide the time and more appropriate conditions, Bloom reasoned that nearly all students could reach a high level of learning. To determine how this might be practically achieved, Bloom first considered how teaching and learning take place in typical group-based...
Words: 3803 - Pages: 16
...Compare your experience in taking the pre and post-test assessment. For this post exam, I experienced more anxiety than with the previous assessment test. I reviewed APEA material for most of the week, so I felt better prepared in some areas. However, with this exam falling on a holiday week, it was difficult to maintain consistent review times. Physically, I felt like I was sitting for the actual exam, therefore, my stomach was unsettled. However, I was more focused on taking my time reading the questions instead of rushing through the exam. Compare the scores you received pre and post-test, and the areas of lowest and highest scores. How did you do? The results of the pre-test reveal the lowest scores in Diagnosis and the post-test evaluation indicate that this is an area in which I need to improve in. My scores were consistently high for Assessment, however, they dropped in Planning and Intervention. I believe the challenge is deciding the most appropriate intervention. The areas of Evaluation and Pharmocotherapeutics were improved....
Words: 1046 - Pages: 5
...assessments have their advantages and disadvantages. Formal assessments are standardized tests that are designed by test specialists. There are given and scored under a standard condition. Informal assessments are tests designed by teachers for use in their classroom. Standardized tests are a type of formal assessments. Standardized tests are formal assessments because the tests are given in the same manner every time. They are fixed choice tests. It is a published achievement test. These are assessments that have been made to allow students to answer a vast amount of questions in a short time period. Since these tests are standardized they will all be the same unless there are different versions of the same test with the questions in different order. By using the same tests the answers can be machine scored. There will not be any mistakes due to grading error. They are convenient to assess student’s knowledge. These are the advantages of using standardized tests. With any given test there are some disadvantages to them, even those designed to be the best. Since standardized tests are fixed choices tests, they can exaggerate accurate information and minimal level skills at the sacrifice of advanced order problem solving and conceptual skills. They also take away from teaching time. These tests usually last a few hours, and during this time students are not learning. Standardized tests also do not assess the same curriculum. Every state has its own curriculum that it...
Words: 1564 - Pages: 7
...You will need: Kaplan Mastery (Kaplan's Big Orange Book is no longer available) Powerscore Logic Games Bible (LGB) Powerscore Logical Reasoning Bible (LRB) All 3 of the '10 More LSAT" series The most recent 10 PTs Official LSAT SuperPrep 3 months (more or less - adjust to your rate of progress but do not try to cram) LG: You will need to divide LG into specific types (Grouping, Linear, and various subtypes) and work on them one after another in order to master the game type. 1) Make 3 photocopies of every LG 2) Separate them using the classification method of choice - Blueprint, Kaplan, etc. will all work but I prefer PowerScore 3) Do each LGB section in order and work on the respective game types as you progress. For this I usually do 2-3 new games and 3 repeats every day, but it doesn't matter as long as you get it done. Try to keep some separation (24 hours+) between the first and second time you attempt a game. Repetition is crucial - after you have done a lot of games a lot of times anything they throw at you will seem elementary and routine. LR: Pretty simple really. Do the appropriate LRB section and then work through the corresponding chapter in Kaplan Mastery/Big Orange Book. I generally reviewed the LRB section thoroughly the first time, and then just read the summary of points and strategies at the start of the question set to refresh myself after that. Do up to 10 problems at each sitting and monitor which question types give you the most trouble...
Words: 1489 - Pages: 6
...English IVB (AKA English 12) | Activity | Points | % of Total | Discuss | 90 | 7% | Exam | 20 | 2% | Explore | 10 | 1% | Final Exam | 100 | 8% | Journal | 80 | 6% | Practice | 250 | 20% | Quiz | 390 | 31% | Test (CST) | 100 | 8% | Test (TST) | 200 | 16% | | Total Points for the Course : 1240 | Unit 1: The Romantics | Lesson 1.1: Introduction to the Romantics | Activity 1.1.1: Study - Historical and Literary Context | (Documents: Study Sheet) | Get an overview of the historical and literary context for the reading. | | Duration: 40 min | | | Activity 1.1.2: Quiz - Comprehending the Study | Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material. | | Duration: 20 min | Scoring: 10 | Points Earned: _____ | Lesson 1.2: Romantic Poetry | Activity 1.2.1: Study - Romantic Poetry: Spontaneous Overflow | (Documents: Study Sheet) | Learn about the characteristics and leading writers of Romantic poetry. | | Duration: 40 min | | | Activity 1.2.2: Quiz - Comprehending the Study | Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material. | | Duration: 20 min | Scoring: 10 | Points Earned: _____ | Activity 1.2.3: Read - Poems from the Romantic Canon | (Documents: Reading Guide) | Read selections from a variety of Romantic poets. | | Duration: 1 hr | | | Activity 1.2.4: Quiz - Comprehending the Readings | Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material. | ...
Words: 4072 - Pages: 17
...Zero-Tolerance in Memphis The Memphis School District had a transformational change happen, when Superintendent Willie Herenton left his position to become the first black mayor of Memphis, the school district hired Dr. Gerry House, in 1992, from the outside because they felt that her experience in a school district that had already been restructured would lead Memphis school reform. It was noted in that case written by Ferrero (1998) that school board thought she could unite “progressive white and African-Americans, based upon an unassailable intellectual vision of high quality schooling” (p. 4). There was escalating violence against staff in the Memphis School District. They adopted the National Gun-Free School Act into their Student Code of Conduct and later added battery of school personnel and drugs possession as a Zero-Tolerance offense. The teachers looked at the revised policy and as a tool to get what they considered as problem students out of their classroom so they could concentrate on teaching the students that wanted to learn. This caused a conflict between Superintendent Gerry house and the Memphis Teachers Association. Superintendent Gerry House put incremental changes in place with her “Basics Plus” plan that allowed the schools to choose one of eleven school improvement models by 1999. The School Boards adoption of Zero-Tolerance reversed a long tradition of keeping...
Words: 2161 - Pages: 9
...Divergent Veronica Roth Dedication To my mother, who gave me the moment when Beatrice realizes how strong her mother is and wonders how she missed it for so long Contents Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Excerpt from Insurgent Chapter One Chapter Two Acknowledgments About the Author Back Ad Praise for Divergent Books By Veronica Roth Credits Copyright About the Publisher CHAPTER ONE THERE IS ONE mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs. Our faction allows me to stand in front of it on the second day of every third month, the day my mother cuts my hair. I sit on the stool and my mother stands behind me with the scissors, trimming. The strands fall on the floor in a dull, blond ring. When she finishes, she pulls my hair away from my face and twists it into a knot. I note how calm she looks and...
Words: 111530 - Pages: 447
...1 Running Head: RETAKES: GOOD OR BAD? 7 RETAKES: GOOD OR BAD? Retakes: Good or bad? 800629413 Arrowhead Park Early College High School Retakes: Good or Bad? Testing has been a way to determine if the student has mastered the subject and is ready to move on to the next step, if possible. For such reason, taking quizzes, midterms, and exams can be really stressful for students, as it is well known that the future practically depends on such assessment. Over the past of the years there has been some controversy towards retakes in the sense of is it really beneficial for students or does it have the totally opposite result. Julie Scagell, a mother of a 12 year old, in her article ?More schools are offering test retakes. But does that...
Words: 1688 - Pages: 7
...A test or examination is an assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in many other topics (e.g., beliefs). A test may be administered orally, on paper, on a computer, or in a confined area that requires a test taker to physically perform a set of skills. Tests vary in style, rigor and requirements. For example, in a closed book test, a test taker is often required to rely upon memory to respond to specific items whereas in an open book test, a test taker may use one or more supplementary tools such as a reference book or calculator when responding to an item. A test may be administered formally or informally. An example of an informal test would be a reading test administered by a parent to a child. An example of a formal test would be a final examination administered by a teacher in a classroom or an I.Q. test administered by a psychologist in a clinic. Formal testing often results in a grade or a test score.[1] A test score may be interpreted with regards to a norm or criterion, or occasionally both. The norm may be established independently, or by statisticalanalysis of a large number of participants. A standardized test is any test that is administered and scored in a consistent manner to ensure legal defensibility.[2]Standardized tests are often used in education, professional certification, psychology (e.g., MMPI), the military, and many other fields. A non-standardized test is usually flexible in scope...
Words: 11960 - Pages: 48
...694, 2007) Exit exams are an example of standardized tests that demonstrate a student’s educational knowledge. If a student has not demonstrated competence upon graduation, the gaps in their education will begin to show once attending college. This will result in the use of remedial courses to catch them up which is an added cost to the already expensive cost of college. (Wolf, p. 696, 2007) “Regular assessment at the input, throughput, and output stages of a student’s education, contribute a wealth of knowledge that educators can use to effectively manage each student progress in scaffolding knowledge. Students who pass tests can be advanced to more challenging educational environments and material. Students who fail tests can be the subject of intense, customized interventions to build a firm foundation before more difficult educational material is presented to them. Testing is an educators ally.” (Wolf, p. 696, 2007) According to Wolf (2007), “Standardized testing provides students with an important skill – test-taking experience and facility – that will benefit them as they engage in a world that regularly “tests” their abilities, concentration, and willingness to follow directions.” (p....
Words: 712 - Pages: 3
...Annotated Bibliography for Standardized Tests Sammy North DeVry University Annotated Bibliography for Standardized Tests Everyone is affected by the strength or weakness of our educational system, from the students and their ability to succeed in college and in the workplace, to the employers who hire them—and everyone in between. Every taxpayer is a stakeholder in education, because these tests are paid for by tax dollars, and the return on investment in education is not where it should be. Standardized tests should be abolished and replaced with end-of-year subject tests because they will save time and money, lead to increased mastery of core subjects, and diminish dropout rates. Clemmitt, M. (2007, July 13). Students under stress. CQ Researcher, 17, 577–600. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/ This article discusses the pressure that students face in public schools today. Homework has increased, as has stress caused by high-stakes standardized testing. This type of pressure results in less time for children to play, sleep, and interact with their parents. The solution is to limit the time children spend on homework, but given that American students lag behind their international peers in tests of basic subjects, decreasing schoolwork seems not to be the answer. Although Clemmitt is a journalist and not an expert on the subject, she cites many experts and authoritative sources to lend credibility to the article, including books and surveys from...
Words: 1445 - Pages: 6
...weapon which one can use to change the universe” said Nelson Mandela. Decline in the education system have been blamed on teacher quality, poverty levels, tenure policies, and increasingly on the use of standardized tests, which began in the mid-1800s and has been a huge part of American education. The conspiracy of the government dumbing down education is they are doing this because the government wants an obedient civilization that would be easy to control and have a docile future workforce ,therefore this being said the conspiracy of dumbing down of education is assisting the government but it isn’t benefiting the people by corrupting the education system through the...
Words: 900 - Pages: 4
...as one of the recent “innovative” approaches to assessments most pursued by states. CBT is lauded as the answer to having cheaper and speedier test delivery for state and district-wide assessments. It is also seen by some as an avenue toward greater accessibility for students with disabilities. In this report we explore the context of CBT, current state computer-based tests, and considerations for students with disabilities, in part as follow-up to a similar exploration that occurred in the early 2000s when just a few states were beginning to develop and implement CBT for their state assessments. Nine considerations for states and districts are presented: • Consider the assumptions and beliefs of various stakeholders about computer-based instruction and assessments. • Consider the system as a whole, from the computer infrastructure to classroom and instructional experiences with computers before deciding whether and how to use CBT. • Consider the computer or online platform first, with input from individuals who know students with disabilities and their accessibility needs. • Consider a process for bringing in the needed expertise to delineate the specific accessibility features of CBT, and to determine what specific accommodations may still be needed by students with disabilities, as well as to determine whether a computer-based test may create new accessibility issues. • Determine the policies for which accessibility features will be available to all students and which are...
Words: 318 - Pages: 2
...acquired abilities (skills) or attitude. The innate nature of aptitude is in contrast to achievement, which represents knowledge or ability that is gained.[1] Contents [hide] 1 Intelligence 2 Combined aptitude and knowledge tests 3 See also 4 References Intelligence[edit] Aptitude and intelligence quotient are related, and in some ways opposite views of human mental ability. Whereas intelligence quotient sees intelligence as being a single measurable characteristic affecting all mental ability, aptitude refers to one of many different characteristics which can be independent of each other, such as aptitude for military flight, air traffic control, or computer programming.[2] This is more similar to the theory of multiple intelligences. Concerning a single measurable characteristic affecting all mental ability, analysis of any group of intelligence test scores will nearly always show them to be highly correlated. The U.S. Department of Labor's General Learning Ability, for instance, is determined by combining Verbal, Numerical and Spatial aptitude subtests. In a given person some are low and others high. In the context of an aptitude test the "high" and "low" scores are usually not far apart, because all ability test scores tend to be correlated. Aptitude is better applied intra-individually to determine what tasks a given individual is more skilled at performing. Inter-individual aptitude differences are typically not very significant due to IQ differences...
Words: 515 - Pages: 3
...Case 1-1 A Student’s Dilemma 1. a) Helen bears the responsibility and obligation of following the rules and doing the best she can. I’m pretty sure cheating wouldn’t be considered following the rules. She also has a responsibility to earn her grade point status the right way. b) Helen stealing the exam is really setting an unfair advantage against her fellow students. Everyone should be even the same rights and opportunity to achieve the same grade on the exam. c) Helen has a responsibility to her future employer to give them what they are asking for; a CPA with integrity and knowledge. Cheating shows a lack of strength and ability in both areas. What if a serious problem came up and she didn’t have the correct knowledge on how to handle it and her company ended up being sued? d) She has a responsibility to live up to the standards and rules the professor laid out in their class. e) Helen should encourage her friend to not lie, cheat or steal. She has a responsibility to help her friend become a better person and anyone who doesn’t do that shouldn’t be considered a real friend. f) She is really just cheating herself out of the opportunity to learn, grow and achieve the status on her own. She had a chance to prove to herself that through hard work and discipline she could of accomplished the same grade the right way. Once that line gets blurry, it’s hard to tell when you cross it. 2. Fairness is the first one that comes to mind. It really isn’t fair to the professor...
Words: 476 - Pages: 2
