Research has found that the "a"-stratified item selection strategy (STR) for computerized adaptive tests (CATs) may lead to insufficient use of high a items at later stages of the tests and thus to reduced measurement precision. A refined approach, unequal item selection across strata (USTR), effectively improves test precision over the…

Reviews problems and issues in early childhood evaluation, and discusses advantages and disadvantages associated with using classroom observations. The "Bronson Social and Task Skill Profile" is described, and its usefulness is discussed by reviewing the way it has been used in several research studies. (HTH)

This document consists of the four issues of the "IACD Quarterly" published in 1992. Articles in this volume include: (1) "A Multicultural Approach to Assertiveness Training" (Wilma Henry and Mary Ann Jones); (2) "Life-Skills: Research and Application" (Michael Illovsky); (3) "'A Model for Grief Counseling:…

Clearly stated educational objectives can help in educational evaluation. Because objectives sans assessment are little more than rhetoric, criterion-referenced tests are advocated for assessing objective-attainment. Performance standards are viewed as appropriately separable from objectives. Five guidelines regarding objectives are suggested for…

Reviews risk assessment procedures and instruments used by child protection agencies. Discusses methodological deficiencies that limit the utility of instruments in predicting abusive behavior. Offers suggestions regarding the use of risk assessment in various decisions made during the course of child protection investigations. (BG)

Contains a summary of the measurement strategies developed and used by the Technical Analysis Group on behalf of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Also describes some remaining measurement dilemmas in the context of the National Board's assessments and suggests some areas for further research. (SLD)

Studies processes in 49 Canadian K-13 classrooms to identify teachers' student achievement evaluation methods. Teacher interviews and categorization of their testing instruments showed teachers beyond early primary grades used evaluations mainly to generate marks for reporting purposes. Such reports seen as reaffirming existing judgments, rather…

Focuses on Subject-Pair Analysis, a technique for comparing examinations in different subjects, to demonstrate that reliance on statistical comparisons of standards between subjects is misplaced. Explicates the fundamental assumptions underlying the Subject-Pair Analysis. Argues that this and related analyses are inappropriate for dealing with the…

The research literature provides important guidance to counselors working to keep abreast of the latest thinking regarding best practices and recently developed counseling tools. The purpose of this digest is to highlight a few errors that seem to recur within the literature, and to provide some helpful references that further explore these…

Portfolios are collections of selected student work representing an array of performance. This "Consumer Guide" presents information on what has been learned about using portfolios for administrative purposes, the problems involved, and possible solutions to these problems. Student portfolios are being used administratively for…

The purpose of this digest is to describe school counselors' roles in the area of assessment through an historical review of testing in counseling, and to report on study findings regarding roles employers require school counselors to perform. Knowledge needed by counselors to obtain evidence, evaluate its usefulness, and interpret its meaning…

This guide provides advice on effective use of assessments in adult basic and literacy education programs. Chapter 1 considers different types of standardized tests, their purposes, their advantages and limitations, misuses of standardized tests, and other types of assessments. Chapter 2 on informal assessments defines alternative and informal…

To explore the effects that changing to performance-based assessment has had on sex differences in science achievement that had been observed with traditional tests, 3 studies involving more than 906 elementary school students compared scores of males and females on performance-based tests. Few gender differences were found. (SLD)