The assessment reform movement has focused on classroom assessment and grading practices as a potential means to improving teaching and learning. Many researchers agree that the best way to enhance learning for a diverse range of students is through appropriate, reliable, and valid classroom assessment and grading practices. This is of particular importance in Saskatchewan because the inclusive philosophy has been mandated for all schools. Classroom teachers are responsible for the instruction, assessment, and grading of students with mild disabilities, learning, emotional, and behavioral challenges, and other needs that require specific attention. This study examined secondary classroom teachers assessment and grading practices in one urban school division. A survey instrument adapted from the work of Duncan and Noonan (2007) and McMillan (2001) asked current secondary teachers, within inclusive classrooms, to indicate their current assessment and grading practices. Evidence from the survey demonstrated that teachers in this division have diverse assessment and grading practices and that they have begun to explore the potential for assessment to assist all students in their learning. This study has provided data to move forward with some professional development opportunities for teachers and further research in assessment and grading with particular focus on students with special needs in inclusive classrooms.

This study was conducted to identify the self-perceptions of superintendents regarding their instructional leadership practices. The focus of the research was to explore the linkages that exist between these perceptions and factors such as superintendent characteristics and district demographics. In their role as district instructional leaders, superintendents are increasingly held accountable for instruction and the expectation for increased test scores. The data used to explore the research questions were acquired through a survey, the Superintendent's Instructional Leadership Survey (SILS). This instrument was developed by Gwen Boyter and had previously been used to survey superintendent behavior as perceived and self-reported by the superintendents themselves. The questionnaire contained 42 task statements that were intertwined into five task areas relevant to Instruction and Human Resource Development. This study used a Multiple Logistical Regression to explore the relationship between the superintendents' self-perceptions on their instructional leadership role and variables that may significantly influence the superintendents' perceptions. Variables included: school district rating for student performance on the state assessment; percentage of economically disadvantaged and at-risk student groups; and superintendent characteristics, such as age, gender, ethnicity, and years of experience. The SILS was sent as an online survey through Qualtrics.com. Superintendents rated their instructional leadership behaviors on a Likert scale that ranged from "Constant Emphasis" to "No Emphasis." Forty-nine respondents completed a survey, which was 16% of those surveyed. Practical significance was found in the relationship between the superintendents' self-perceptions and two of the variables: (a) the superintendents' age and (b) the district rating. Statistical significance was found on two variables: (a) the percentage of economically disadvantaged students and (b) the percentage of at-risk students. Research findings suggest that it is imperative that superintendents devote specific time to focus on instruction, curriculum, and assessment practices. They must involve stakeholders to collaboratively focus on the instruction goals in order to meet the learning needs of all students. As a result of this study, instructional leadership should be given much consideration in the selection of superintendents. Superintendent preparation programs can use data from the study to better prepare individuals to serve in the capacity of district instructional leaders.

The assessment reform movement has focused on classroom assessment and grading practices as a potential means to improving teaching and learning. Many researchers agree that the best way to enhance learning for a diverse range of students is through appropriate, reliable, and valid classroom assessment and grading practices. This is of particular importance in Saskatchewan because the inclusive philosophy has been mandated for all schools. Classroom teachers are responsible for the instruction, assessment, and grading of students with mild disabilities, learning, emotional, and behavioral challenges, and other needs that require specific attention. This study examined secondary classroom teachers assessment and grading practices in one urban school division. A survey instrument adapted from the work of Duncan and Noonan (2007) and McMillan (2001) asked current secondary teachers, within inclusive classrooms, to indicate their current assessment and grading practices. Evidence from the survey demonstrated that teachers in this division have diverse assessment and grading practices and that they have begun to explore the potential for assessment to assist all students in their learning. This study has provided data to move forward with some professional development opportunities for teachers and further research in assessment and grading with particular focus on students with special needs in inclusive classrooms.

This thesis explores teachers' current knowledge and practice about classroom assessment processes in the Mauritian primary schools and reports the results of a case study, the data of which were collected during the three terms of the school year in 1998 from four primary schools that included thirty-five teachers. The interest of the case study is not to appraise the teachers' work or the school in any way; rather it is to accurately describe classroom assessment practices within the context of Mauritian primary schools. The research addresses three main questions: why teachers conduct classroom assessment, how it is conducted and what is assessed. The findings of the study indicate that teachers assess their pupils for three main reasons: providing feedback to the pupils and to themselves, reviewing the teaching methods and for diagnostic purposes. Another minor purpose noted is for communicating information to Parents. Questioning and observation are the two methods most common in the conduct of classroom assessment. Questioning techniques are mostly closed ones, with a view to seeking a specific answer from the pupils. Teachers interpret the information collected with reference to three general standards: criterion -referenced, norm-referenced and self-referenced. In general, the findings indicate that teachers' practices are oriented more towards the traditional pedagogy in terms of emphasis on the lower level objectives, whole class teaching and focusing on the product. No provision is made for the able or the less able. All the pupils are treated the same and are given the same tasks. Almost a decade after the introduction and implementation of the Learning Competencies and the scheme for Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation, it is found that Mauritian primary teachers do not have the relevant training in assessment to fully apply the progressive reforms. Despite the education system being very centralised, it seems that teachers assess their pupils independently and without any support from the government. There is no monitoring, moderating or policing of policies. Assessment practices are derived from their habit and ideology rather than from the official directives.

Reading problems are the most frequent referring reasons for special education evaluations. Recent changes in the law have implications for the changing role of the school psychologist, specifically the evaluation and identification of students with reading disabilities. Traditionally, the assessment of children with suspected reading disabilities has focused on the presence of an aptitude/achievement discrepancy in which general intellectual ability is significantly higher than reading skills. IDEA 2004 introduced a second model, Response to Intervention (RTI), in which children with a reading disability may be identified through a set of curriculum-based measures and progress monitoring data.In light of the broadening evaluation processes, the present study was designed to examine the relationship between school psychologists' attitudes and assessment practices in the identification of students suspected of reading disabilities. In addition, the study examined whether there were significant attitudes and practice differences related to school psychologists' prior teaching experience, gender status, number of years in practice, certification, grade of service delivery, professional credentials, and ethnicity. Finally, the study examined the variability in their practices for evaluating children with reading disabilities. The present study replicated and expanded the work (survey) of Nelson and Machek (2007) and Fish and Margolis (1988).Data were collected from 81 members of the Arizona Association of School Psychologists (AASP). Each participant completed a survey, which was made up of 30 items, regarding perceptions and practices psychologists use in the evaluation of students with reading difficulties using a 5-point Likert scale. Results indicated a relationship between attitudes and current practices suggesting that school psychologists' practices are compatible with their attitudes. In addition, the most remarkable correlations were observed in regard to school psychologists' attitudes that in order to identify children with a reading disability, school psychologists need to include measures of intelligence and cognitive processing, even within an RTI framework. In regard to the variability of assessment practices, school psychologists' practices for evaluating children with reading disabilities were similar.Implications from this study indicated the need for school psychologists to have a broad working knowledge of the evaluation requirements to identify children with reading disabilities beyond the aptitude/achievement model.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Nanomedicines are loosely defined as medicines that seek to apply nanotechnology. Currently, nanomedicines are available for clinical use, including treatments for cancer, high cholesterol, hepatitis, COVID-19 vaccination, among other uses (Patra et al., 2018; Gao et al., 2021). Most of the nanomedicines meet the definition of medicines according to various national legislations. Consequently, these products are regulated as medicines. Nanomedicines present major differences in biological details and increased complexity of clinical use. They integrate different technology subsets from therapeutics to imaging and integrated non-invasive diagnosis (Gaspar, 2007). These complexities require extra regulatory effort.

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Previous research studies have demonstrated that international graduate students experience various challenges adapting to academic situations within a new university community. This thesis reports on an interview study with six international graduate students who use English as a second language studying Master’s degree at one Canadian university. This study addresses the academic assessment and evaluation experience of international graduate students in the following four aspects: (1) their enjoyable and challenging assessment practices; (2) understanding of assessment expectations; (3) reflections on previous educational experience; and (4) psychological and physical factors in relation to assessment and evaluation. The findings indicate that these students’ experiences of assessment and evaluation procedures are varied and the academic acculturation process towards assessment depends on different yet interrelated factors: English language competence, cultural and educational awareness, and assessment literacy. All six research participants adapted to the host academic assessment practices and procedures fairly well despite the fact that they were not familiar with the expectations and requirements regarding assessment and evaluation at the beginning of their studies. These students learned about the host academic culture regarding assessment and evaluation through their own examination failure, instructors’ feedback, and peers’ observation. The findings also indicate that international graduate students need more coordinated support from university supportive services and easier access to information about assessment and evaluation expectations and requirements. Implications of the findings for effective learning and positive academic experience for L2 international graduate students, faculty and supportive staff, and for future research are discussed. It is suggested to organize workshops and seminars devoted to assessment literacy for international and domestic graduate students, instructors and supporting staff in order to enhance learning experience and outcomes. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-09 17:43:27.833

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-12-12T09:26:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Edna Ribeiro dos Santos.pdf: 1627869 bytes, checksum: 480e6e38dcbb171aaaa481dc227d51b8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-12T09:26:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Edna Ribeiro dos Santos.pdf: 1627869 bytes, checksum: 480e6e38dcbb171aaaa481dc227d51b8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-11-05 / This research investigates the assessment practices developed by teachers of an Elementary School of the Education Municipal Network of São Paulo, specially, the tools used for learning evaluation. The study had as general aim to investigate the evaluation tools used by the teachers; and as specific aims: to identify which evaluation tools are more often registered by the teachers in the Pedagogical Management System (PMS); to obtain information which may be applied in formations about the types of tools and its uses; to propose changes in the way of registering the assessment activities in the PMS. The references supporting this study were: Depresbiteris (1991), Depresbiteris and Tavares (2009), Gatti (2003), Haydt (2002), Santos Guerra (2007), Sousa (1991) and Vianna (2014). The research, with a qualitative approach, had as data collection procedures the semistructurated interview and the document analysis; and as subjects 11 professors which taught in this school in the year of 2017. The results highlight teachers’ declaration of several evaluation kinds, however, in the seeking of the more used tools, it was possible to imply that the exam shows up more often. It was also observed that in the way the evaluation activities suggestions are presented by the Pedagogical Management System – online registration device, it does not contribute for the knowledge and differentiation between these suggestions. Regarding the evaluation registers made by the teachers, it is possible to verify that the difference between the elements and fields presented is not clear, and these registers reveal this confusion, exposing in the same field the evaluation tools as well as the contents evaluated. Thus, the demands to be included in the formations include the knowledge about the assessment tools, its types and the criteria used, and the PMS itself / Esta pesquisa investiga as práticas avaliativas desenvolvidas por professores de uma Escola de Ensino Fundamental da Rede Municipal de Ensino de São Paulo, em especial, os instrumentos utilizados para avaliação da aprendizagem. O estudo teve como objetivo geral investigar os instrumentos de avaliação utilizados pelos professores; e como objetivos específicos: identificar quais são os instrumentos de avaliação registrados com maior frequência pelos professores no Sistema de Gestão Pedagógica (SGP); levantar subsídios para formações sobre os tipos de instrumentos e seus usos; propor mudanças na forma de registro das atividades avaliativas no SGP. As referências que apoiaram esse estudo foram: Depresbiteris (1991), Depresbiteris e Tavares (2009), Gatti (2003), Haydt (2002), Santos Guerra (2007), Sousa (1991) e Vianna (2014). A pesquisa, de abordagem qualitativa, teve como procedimento de coleta de dados a entrevista semiestruturada e a análise documental; e como sujeitos 11 professores que lecionavam nesta escola no ano de 2017. Os resultados evidenciam que os docentes declararam formas variadas de avaliar, no entanto, ao buscar os instrumentos mais utilizados, foi possível inferir que a prova aparece com maior frequência. Em relação ao Sistema de Gestão Pedagógica – dispositivo de registro on-line, na forma como apresenta as sugestões de atividades avaliativas não contribui com o conhecimento e a distinção entre elas. Quanto aos registros das avaliações realizadas pelos professores é possível verificar que não está evidente a diferença entre os elementos ou campos apresentados, e esses registros acabam por revelar essa confusão, expondo no mesmo campo, ora os instrumentos de avaliação utilizados, ora os conteúdos avaliados. Diante disso, o conhecimento sobre os instrumentos de avaliação, seus tipos e os critérios utilizados, e o próprio SGP, são vistos como demanda para formação