The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) is rapidly progressing from the position of having an assessment program that does not work to the position of having an assessment program that does work. The perception that assessment is separate from instruction has changed to a view of assessment as part of a four-stage model including planning,…

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) became interested in evaluation and testing skills of teachers when district and school averages on competency ratings in the area were among the lowest since 1979. School districts, as well as teacher preparation programs, should devote serious attention to the improvement of these teacher skills. In…

This article is devoted to explaining the use and misuse of standardized tests in adult literacy programs. Among the topics covered on that subject are why the tests are of such interest among adult educators: because the authority vested in these tests can determine the way programs are developed, what is taught, the climate of teaching and…

This book articulates an integrated conceptualization of theory, assessment, application, and evaluation through the study of assessment and its role in linking theory and practice. Part 1 of the book contains six chapters which address the conceptualization of these four components, the potential for integrating them in the context of…

The process of developing a testing/evaluation/instruction management subsystem that will be uniquely suited to the specific situation of a given district requires a decision to use a strategy for instructional change in which data from testing and evaluation would play a major role. Considerations that might go into such a decision involve some…

Each year the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) tests all 4th, 7th, and 10th grade students in reading and mathematics and one or more subject areas. Because MEAP has lost funding for test development, experienced assessment staff and a volunteer team of local educators and college and university specialists develop, administer, and…

This document traces the development of the testing and reporting system used in the Elkhart Community Schools (ECS), Indiana, from 1981 through 1985. Performance objectives were established when the program was initiated. Analyses of standardized test results were provided for teachers, principals, and central administrative staff. All school…

Stanford Achievement Tests (Science) were examined to point out limitations of standardized achievement tests. Several factors teachers need to consider when using standardized tests were identified. Tests can be effective only if they measure the same content areas that make up the science curriculum. Good reading comprehension is needed for…

Discusses the advantages of using a pretest in introductory agronomy courses. Provides a pretest that has been developed for use in an introductory crops course taught at Southern Illinois University. Includes 25 definitions, 17 true-false and multiple choice questions, and 6 short answer questions. (TW)

Discusses considerations in developing assessment and placement programs: which students should be tested, why admission tests and high school grades are inappropriate for placement, how testing should be carried out, which tests should be used, and how tests should be interpreted. (DMM)

Provides a framework for understanding the concept of validity and how it applies to simulation research. Extant tests of validity are discussed in terms of this framework, and a general schema for testing validity is proposed. (MBR)

The Naval Academy has instituted a system of averaging the Scholastic Aptitude Test scores of each applicant rather than using the most recent score alone as an admission criterion, having found that average scores are better predictors of academic success at the institution. (MSE)

With the passage of "No Child Left Behind" in 2001, schools are expected to provide a standards-based curriculum for students to attain math and reading proficiency and demonstrate progress each year. "NCLB" requires more frequent student testing with publicly reported results in an effort to close the achievement gap and to inform parents,…

In order to understand the roles of test scores and diversity characteristics (including race and ethnicity) in the admission process, National Board researchers interviewed admissions directors who worked at selective public and private institutions are well as admissions consultants in the summer and fall of 1999. This report presents an…

In the year 2000, the Alaska High School Graduation Qualifying Examination (HSGQE) was given for the first time. The HSGQE is currently scheduled to be a graduation requirement for all students graduating as of January 2002, but early results from the use of the HSGQE in the Anchorage school district raise serious questions about the use of the…