Yes—we can have our cake and eat it too! We can improve students’ reading and writing performance without sacrificing authenticity. In Read, Talk, Write, Laura Robb shows us how. First, she makes sure students know the basics of six types of talk. Next, she shares 35 lessons that support rich conversation. Finally, she includes new pieces by Seymour Simon, Kathleen Krull, and others so you have texts to use right away. Read, Talk, Write: it’s a process your students not only can do, but one they will love to do.
The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) is a household survey conducted periodically by the Department of Education that evaluates the literacy skills of a sample of adults in the United Stages ages 16 and older. NAAL results are used to characterize adults' literacy skills and to inform policy and programmatic decisions. The Committee on Performance Levels for Adult Literacy was convened at the Department's request for assistance in determining a means for booking assessment results that would be useful and understandable for NAAL'S many varied audiences. Through a process detailed in the book, the committee determined that five performance level categories should be used to characterize adults' literacy skills: nonliterate in English, below basic literacy, basic literacy, intermediate literacy, and advanced literacy. This book documents the process the committee used to determine these performance categories, estimates the percentages of adults whose literacy skills fall into each category, recommends ways to communicate about adults' literacy skills based on NAAL, and makes suggestions for ways to improve future assessments of adult literacy.
This report is the second in a multi-part technical report series describing the development, calibration and validation of standards-based tests for English as a first foreign language at the Institute for Educational Progress (Institut zur Qualitätsentwicklung im Bildungswesen, IQB) in Berlin, Germany. It details the empirical basis of the calibration of the test item pool and criterion-referenced standard-setting procedures. The aim is to make transparent the decisions, methods and procedures which led to the setting of cut-scores in alignment with the National Educational Standards (NES) (i.e., the Länderübergreifende Bildungsstandards) and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF) for English as a first foreign language. Standards were set for the lower secondary school level of Hauptschulabschluss and Mittlerer Bildungsabschluss. This second report describes the process of relating the standards-based proficiency tests to the CEF levels, delineating the purpose of the tests, the aims of the standard-setting procedures, the rationale of the chosen procedures, and the use of the Manual for Linking Language Examinations to the CEF. This is followed by a detailed description of the two standard-setting methods employed, the Bookmark method and the computer-assisted Criterion Mapping method—developed and implemented by the Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research (BEAR) Center, University of California. This volume provides information on how the standard-setting sessions were conducted in collaboration with BEAR Center, and describes procedures, data gathering, and issues and problems which arose during the course of the study. The report concludes with a synthesis of the standard-setting study’s results, and discusses the implications of how these results are reported and presented to stakeholders and policy makers.
A visual guide to the world's most popular mobile device Teach Yourself VISUALLY iPhone is your practical and accessible guide to mastering the powerful features and functionality of Apple's iPhone. For new iPhone users and long-time customers alike, this excellent resource features visually rich tutorials and step-by-step instructions that will help you understand all of your iPhone's capabilities – from the most basic to the most advanced. Most consumers gravitate toward the iPhone and Apple products in general because they just work. But you may not have been getting the most out of your iPhone, until now. With Teach Yourself VISUALLY iPhone, you'll learn how to access and download books, apps, music, and video content as well as send photos and e-mails, edit movies, sync with Apple devices and services, and effectively use the current OS. All the new features and capabilities of the latest, cutting-edge iPhone are covered. This practical guide will help you: Learn the features of iOS visually with 500 full-color screen shots Master the basic functions of your iPhone and customize your settings Ensure you are getting optimal performance from your smartphone Understand how to find the best apps and services to fit your personal and business needs Written for visual learners and anyone who is interested in either starting out with a brand new iPhone or learning about the latest features of the most recent revolutionary device from Apple, Teach Yourself VISUALLY iPhone is the ultimate visual guide to the world's favorite smartphone.
