Assessment has become one of the most significant areas of interest in educational policy development, as well as the focus of complex political, economic and cultural expectations for change. Increasingly, governments worldwide have become aware that curricula and teachers can be indirectly controlled through programmes of assessment. Opponents of centralized systems of mass assessment claim they are ill-suited to the diverse and changing needs of learners and users of assessment. In this text, the UK and US writers take the reader beyond the obvious functions of assessment, and focus upon the roles it performs in the social structuring of society. They examine the myths and assumptions that underpin assessment and testing and draw attention to its cultural context. This collection is devoted explicitly to socio-cultural studies of assessment and attempts to map the terrain of some 30 years of study in the field. Chapters are organized thematically, with background text providing comparative perspectives, key issues and further reading. The book provides a wide-ranging, structured and accessible approach to the study of socio-cultural origins and impacts of assessment.

Needs assessments identify the needs for services, answering questions about who needs these services and in what priority. Asset assessments focuses on existing resources; combing both needs and asset assesments helps find the gaps in these services and is useful to organizations and communities. Assets assessments differ dramatically from their needs assessments counterparts along a variety of key dimensions. Asset assessments generally attempt to: (1) focus on capacities rather than problems/needs; (2) actively seek community participation and develop collaborative partnerships; (3) seek to tap and enhance community competencies; (4) seek to equalize power between residents and professionals; (5) be proactive rather than reactive to problems; and (6) stress community contributions and ownership of the process and are thus empowerment-driven.

This thoroughly revised and updated second edition of Child and Family Assessment in Social Work Practice is an essential guide for social work students and practitioners involved in the assessment of children and their families. Focusing on ′core′ assessments and guiding the reader through the complexities of conducting assessments of need and risk, the book now includes within each chapter a range of specifically-tailored exercises and focus points which encourage readers both to reflect on what they have learnt and to understand how they can apply that learning to practice. Placing a strong emphasis on good, evidence-based, assessment practice, Sally Holland has also, for this new edition, included original research evidence from a wide range of up-to-date research studies which are relevant to today′s practice and which aim to promote a critical and reflective approach to the assessment process. The book is divided into three parts: - Part 1 explores different appoaches to assessment work, outlining policy changes and their implications for working with children and their families. - Part 2 studies those involved in child and family assessments: children and their parents; and the relationship between the assessors and the assessed. - Part 3 - a more practical guide - outlines the actual process of an assessment, illustrated by case studies, focusing on planning assessment methods, analysis, reporting and critical evaluation. Accessibly relating theory and research to actual practice through the use of case studies, exercises, and suggestions for good practice and further reading, this book has a student-friendly structure It will be an invaluable resource for practitioners and academics across the field of social welfare, particularly for those embarking on, or already involved in, child and family assessment.

This state-of-the art research Handbook provides a comprehensive, coherent, current synthesis of the empirical and theoretical research concerning teaching and learning in science and lays down a foundation upon which future research can be built. The contributors, all leading experts in their research areas, represent the international and gender diversity that exists in the science education research community. As a whole, the Handbook of Research on Science Education demonstrates that science education is alive and well and illustrates its vitality. It is an essential resource for the entire science education community, including veteran and emerging researchers, university faculty, graduate students, practitioners in the schools, and science education professionals outside of universities. The National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) endorses the Handbook of Research on Science Education as an important and valuable synthesis of the current knowledge in the field of science education by leading individuals in the field. For more information on NARST, please visit: http://www.narst.org/.

A companion to Aspects of Teaching Secondary Mathematics, this book introduces and explores the contemporary issues and key ideas entailed in the teaching and learning of this subject. This book is concerned with exploring the bigger picture of mathematics education, and is aimed particularly at those learning to teach mathematics; teachers in the classroom who want to continue thinking and developing as mathematics teachers; and those concerned with education who would like to be better informed about mathematics education. Divided into seven sections to help structure reading, this book offers a completely up-to-date, comprehensive overview, written by the most-known, well-respected experts in the field.

This bestselling book takes the student step-by-step through the core processes of social work. It introduces four essential elements (assessment, planning intervention and review) in a clear manner, and is structured in a chronological way that is easy to understand yet holistic in approach. The authors use Assessment as a lynchpin for the book and use various assessment tools (some of which they have developed themselves) to illustrate the links between theory and practice. An essential introduction to the fundamental principles of social work practice, this title has been fully-revised to link directly to the Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Work. Key updates: New Material on Personalisation Agenda Greater emphasis on social work in the community More research material on working with children Updated case studies throughout Part of the Transforming Social Work Practice series. All books in the series are affordable, mapped to the Social Work Curriculum, practical with clear links between theory & practice and written to the Professional Capabilities Framework.