Addresses the four questions raised by Yelon about use of pretests with instruction--should I pretest; on what should I pretest; how should I pretest; how should I adjust to results--and answers them from the perspective of instructional designers conducting formative evaluations to improve quality of instruction under development. (MBR)

The authors discuss changes that will appear in the 1988 edition of the General Educational Development (GED) test. Changes include (1) a focus on comprehensive, integrated skills; (2) a need for highly developed thinking skills; (3) use of a computer technology theme; (4) writing assessments; and (5) changes in content areas. (CH)

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)