Gerry Swan

GRADES That Mean Something: Kentucky Develops Standards-Based Report Cards

A group of teachers, school leaders, and education researchers create report cards that link course grades to student progress on mastering state standards.

Information Systems in Teacher Preparation Programs: What Can We Learn from a 5-Year Longitudinal Case Study of an Electronic Portfolio Database?

In 2003, a portfolio system was implemented to manage the data associated with the field experiences in a teacher education program at a research institution in the southeast region of the United States. In this longitudinal study, the implementation trends from usage data extracted from the system are used to discuss the implications for the use of the system in terms of how it “fits” within the organizational structure. This analysis is framed by concepts related to the implementation of Management Information Systems (Markus & Robey, 1988) and diffusion of innovation (Rogers, 2003). Findings suggest that decentralized environments result in higher degrees of reinvention.

Examining Authentic Intellectual Work with a Historical Digital Documentary Inquiry Project in a Mandated State Testing Environment.

Abstract Three criteria for meaningful student learning—construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond school—are assessed as authentic learning outcomes for an implementation of a digital documentary project in two fifth grade history classrooms where teachers’ practices are constrained by a high-stakes testing climate. In all three areas, there was ample evidence of student engagement in authentic intellectual work in the student-created movies. Only when teachers are ambitious in looking beyond test score outcomes will students have opportunities for meaningful and authentic intellectual experiences.