Research syntheses are appealing because they enable decision makers to determine quickly whether policies, programs, and practices will have effects on student achievement and, if so, the magnitudes of the likely effects. Such syntheses should present objective, clear, scientifically accurate, and defensible evidence in terms that educators can…

Responds to a negative evaluation of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and asserts that a review of the evidence for the NAEP performance standards indicates that there is support for the current approach to NAEP standard setting. Considers the scholarship of the NAS evaluation…

Takes issue with support of the standard setting process of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) advanced by critics of the evaluation of the standard setting process by the National Academy of Sciences and asserts that the achievement level descriptions developed for the NAEP no longer adhere to policy statements defining the…

Discusses the roles played by participants and the processes involved in a provincial standards-setting exercise for a large-scale assessment of student skills. Offers perspectives of a policy maker outside the exercise and an insider participant. Describes alternate notions of representativeness, stakes, and significance. (SLD)

Eight criteria developed by the National Forum on Assessment (Washington, DC) as guidelines for evaluating existing and proposed assessment systems at any level are listed. Criteria call for clear definitions and fair assessments to assist educators and policymakers in improving instruction. Continuous review and improvement are recommended. (SLD)

This 1982 supplement is a further elaboration to the Writing Assessment which was distributed in 1981 to assist schools in assessment of writing by detailing scoring procedures, standard-setting, and the reporting of results. The supplement deals with retesting, alternative methods for setting standards, establishing score equivalency on writing…

OSCE examinations were held in May and June 2002 for all third and fourth year and some fifth year medical students at the University of Leeds. There has been an arbitrary pass mark of 65% for these examinations. However, we recognise that it is important to adopt a systematic approach towards standard setting in all examinations so held a trial…

New Jersey has taken steps to improve vocational education programs and services in response to two state reports and the measurement and evaluation requirements of the reauthorized Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-392). Among state initiatives is the Occupational Competency Project, a study of 100…

This document, which is intended for use by adult literacy programs in Saskatchewan, Canada, consists of three questionnaires. The questionnaires were developed under the guidance of Saskatchewan's 11-member Good Practice Task Force to give adult literacy programs an opportunity to reflect on their current initiatives, identify their strengths,…