This study examined the content alignment between an English as a foreign language skills curriculum and a provincial language test in China. When there is misalignment in the content between the standards of a curriculum and a test, conclusions about student abilities and teaching effectiveness can be questioned. To examine this, three categories…

In this paper, we present a study, which models and measures the competencies of higher education students in business and economics--within and across countries. To measure student competencies in a valid and reliable way, the Test of Understanding in College Economics was used, which assesses microeconomic and macroeconomic competencies. The…

To investigate the congruence between the requisite postgraduate academic language skills and the language skills measured by the General English section of the Iranian National PhD Entrance exam, field specialist informants, language-specialist informants and post-graduate students were questioned. The informants' data were collected through…

Two different versions of "big ideas" rooted content maps have recently been published for general chemistry. As embodied in the content outline from the College Board, one of these maps is designed to guide curriculum development and testing for advanced placement (AP) chemistry. The Anchoring Concepts Content Map for general chemistry…

This paper addresses the ideal of "citizenship" in the US and how particular meanings of history, culture, and language are encoded in government policy and practice. The US government (Citizenship and Immigration Services) presents citizenship as a commitment to shared knowledge and values, and it requires applicants to possess…

Although classroom assessment is one of the most frequent practices carried out by teachers in all educational programs, limited research has been conducted to investigate the dependability and validity of criterion-referenced tests (CRTs). The main purpose of this study is to develop a criterion-referenced test for first-year Japanese university…

Posits that historical details can lend credibility, spark interest, and establish context for elementary history instruction. Argues, however, that teachers must distinguish between factual details and major historical developments. Suggests textbooks, mastery learning pressures, and test construction practices contribute to the inappropriate use…

A "high-stakes" test can directly and powerfully influence how teachers teach and students learn. Six principles that describe the negative consequences of measurement-driven instruction are discussed, and the effect of these consequences on student and teacher behavior, as well as the test itself, is outlined. (IAH)

The dominant issues in considering the use of tests developed outside the classroom to measure the impact of curriculum reform on higher order thinking are reviewed by a panel interviewed for this discussion. Panel members are: (1) Stuart Kahl, (2) Robert Linn, (3) Senta A. Raizen, (4) Lauren Resnick, and (5) Thomas A. Romberg. It is conceded…

This work views assessment as one component in the educational triad of: curriculum planning, instruction based on planned curriculum, and assessment of student learning resulting from instruction. Models are given for assessment of learning through observed and recorded evidences. Strategies assess learned behavior activities in visual analysis,…

The Massachusetts Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) is designed to improve curriculum and instruction in the public schools. The MEAP tests all students in grades 4, 8, and 12 in major curriculum areas biennially. The test is not designed to yield scores for individual students. This document describes the content of the assessment instruments…

"Informed math self-placement," a program implemented at American River College in Sacramento, California, to determine students' readiness for college-level math, has been in place for three years. This case study describes the development and implementation of math self-placement at American River. Math self-placement consists of a…

Examines textbook-test alignment in the social studies curriculum. Defines alignment as review items conceptually and contextually matching test items. Indicates research that shows critically low alignment levels between review and test items, providing examples from a fifth grade textbook. Outlines five steps by which teachers can develop…