The Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS) is a statewide assessment system that embodies Nebraska's holistic view of students and helps them prepare for success in postsecondary education, career, and civic life. It uses multiple measures throughout the year to provide educators and decision-makers at all levels with the insights…

In the present paper and the discussion that follows, the author presents aspects of test construction and a careful description of instructional objectives. Constructing tests involves several stages such as describing language objectives, selecting appropriate test task, devising and assembling test tasks, and devising a scoring system for…

The State of New York Agriculture Science Education secondary program is required to have a certification exam for students to assess their agriculture science education experience as a Regent's requirement towards graduation. This paper focuses on the procedure used to develop and validate two content sub-test questions within a…

Standards-based reform, as codified by the No Child Left Behind Act, relies on the ability of assessments to accurately reflect the learning that takes place in U.S. classrooms. However, this property of assessments--their instructional sensitivity--is rarely, if ever, investigated by test developers, states, or researchers. In this paper, the…

Describes development of a test using slides and corresponding multiple-choice questions for second-year occupational therapy students in child studies course. Reasons for choosing the test format are discussed and an outline of test construction procedures is given. An evaluation of the test indicates problems encountered and benefits gained.…

Discusses problems in using multiple-choice items on criterion-referenced tests, offering alternative methods to determine if objectives have been met. These include batteries of true-false items, structural communication grids, concept linkages, and a scoring system which takes partial knowledge into consideration. (JN)

The Mathematics Achievement Test Project (MATP) was set up by the Learning Assessment Branch of the Ministry of Education of British Columbia to develop testing materials to assist teachers throughout the province in the task of evaluating students' performance in mathematics. The two major objectives of the project were to construct "banks" of…

The development and use of a bank of test items, utilizing the Rasch model in the calibration and scaling of these test items, is described. The items were used to construct tests for pre- and posttesting students in the Pharmacy Practice Externship at the University of Kentucky. Typical questions from the bank are appended. (JMD)

Describes the purpose, construction, use, maintenance, and improvement of a basic physics examination file by the U.S. Air Force Academy. Includes nine sample objectives, two multiple-choice items, and an example of computer item analysis. (SK)

Presents major stages in design and development of criterion referenced tests (CRT) with emphasis on differences between CRT construction and norm-referenced test construction. Discussion covers test interpretation; test theory; preparation for test construction (hierarchical analysis, item type selection, and choosing number of items); test…

A statewide sample testing of writing skills in the fourth, seventh, and tenth grades was conducted by the Michigan Educational Assessment Program in the fall of 1982. This report, which shares the writing assessment information (historical, descriptive, and interpretive) for educational decision-making, was prepared in the hope of increasing…

This final report discusses the outcomes of a project designed to extend the nation's current emphasis on health-related, criterion-referenced fitness testing and programming to children and adolescents with disabilities. It summarizes project activities leading up to the Brockport Physical Fitness Test and related measures. Activities included:…

Describes the work of the Mathematics Assessment Project to produce a bank of test items for specified syllabi. The bank includes both written items and practical or performance items. (PK)

A project was conducted in Florida between October 1, 1984, and August 31, 1985, to develop and field test criterion-referenced tests in the occupational areas of gardening/groundskeeping and landscape operations. The test instruments were constructed around the performance standards developed by the Florida Department of Vocational Education.…

A norm-referenced achievement test, in combination with supplementary items, can be used to produce norm-referenced data as well as objective-referenced data. The experiences of the Palm Beach County (Florida) school district in developing and using such a test are described. (EGS)