The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) -- often called "The Nation's Report Card" -- is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students in public and private schools in the United States know and can do in various subjects and has provided policy makers and the public with invaluable…

The chapters in this online volume comprise the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center's technical report of the methods and procedures used to develop, implement, and report the results of TIMSS 2019. There were various technical challenges because TIMSS 2019 was the initial phase of the transition to eTIMSS, with approximately half the…

In this article, Structural communication grid (SCG), an alternative measurement and evaluation technique, has been firstly summarised and the design, development and implementation of a computer based SCG system have been introduced. The system is then tested on a sample of 154 participants consisting of candidate students, science teachers and…

In most large-scale assessments of student achievement, several broad content domains are tested. Because more items are needed to cover the content domains than can be presented in the limited testing time to each individual student, multiple test forms or booklets are utilized to distribute the items to the students. The construction of an…

This paper, presented in an outline format, provides general suggestions for the format of classroom tests and offers guidelines for adapting commercial tests that accompany textbooks for students with disabilities. Suggestions include, for example, using visual prompts to focus attention on important words, symbols, or procedures; and not…

Provides recommendations to aid teachers (elementary and secondary) in planning tests, constructing item types (essay, short answer, true-false, or other alternate response, matching, multiple-choice), administering tests, scoring tests, analyzing tests, and using test results. (KH)

Argues that multiple choice tests can be effective only if the items are written in a format suitable for testing the mastery of specific instructional objectives. Proposes the use of nonrestrictive test items and cites examples of such items. (FL)

A review of five recent studies concludes that on multiple-choice tests, changing uncertain answers improves results; testing plus feedback produces more learning than additional study time; students learn and retain more when they are tested more often; and question and completion formats are equally acceptable for multiple-choice items. (KS)

Discusses nine factors affecting the relationship between learning and test performance that can be controlled by the teacher: time on task, level of learning, question format, number of questions, inclusion of past work, difficulty level, grouping, use of new items, and difficulty distribution. (SR)

This article describes the 2-5-8 Assessment Plan, an assessment process based on Bloom's taxonomy that allows students to choose test items to complete. Test items are given 2, 5, or 8 points depending on difficulty and students must choose any assignments that total ten points. Grading the assessments is discussed. (Contains one reference.) (CR)

This paper undertakes a review of the literature on writing cognition, writing instruction, and writing assessment with the goal of developing a framework and competency model for a new approach to writing assessment. The model developed is part of the Cognitively Based Assessments of, for, and as Learning (CBAL) initiative, an ongoing research…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a congressionally mandated project of the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. It assesses what students in the United States should know and be able to do in geography, reading, writing, mathematics, science, U.S. history, the arts, civics, and other…

The Reading Framework for the 1992 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) contains the rationale for the aspects of reading assessed in 1992 and criteria for development of the assessment. Developed through a national consensus process as a part of an effort to move assessment forward, the framework presented in the booklet is more…

Argues that multiple-choice tests can be effective only if the items are written in a format suitable for testing the mastery of specific instructional objectives. Proposes the use of nonrestrictive test items and cites examples of such items. (FL)

Based on seven years of surveying students, parents, and educators, the following conclusions were reached: (1) preliminary telephoning of graduates to verify addresses did not produce higher returns from those contacted; (2) cover letters printed on more expensive colored-letterhead stationary did not produce a higher return rate than the same…