A study at Brigham Young University (Utah) investigated the feasibility of computer-assisted language placement testing in higher education. Benefits and problems of this approach for test administration, individualization of item selection, and recordkeeping were examined. Four steps were followed in production of a test for Spanish placement:…

Performance assessment is reviewed as an emerging form of alternative assessment, focusing on how it has been defined in the research literature, the criteria for evaluating its authenticity, the measurement of process and product, and the link between assessment and instruction. Three important dimensions that must be considered in describing…

Many multiple aptitude test batteries, including the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT), used for assigning or classifying individuals to jobs or for occupational counseling have subtests covering a broad range of content such as science, mathematics, reading, vocabulary, perceptual, mechanical, or technical knowledge. This content reflects…

Teachers' use of classroom tests and test items was examined by level of teacher training in tests and measurement, grade taught and subject area taught. A survey form was developed that contained questions about training in tests and measurement, subject areas and grades taught, from what source test items were taken, hours spent in…

The Verbal, Mathematics, Academic, and General self-concept scales of the Self Description Questionnaire (SDQII) (H. Marsh, 1990, 1993) were translated into Chinese and administered to high school students in China (N=493). Item scale correlations and reliability coefficients were good (alphas=0.85, 0.91, 0.87, and 0.86 respectively). Confirmatory…

Prekindergarten students (n=1,137) in an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse urban public school took a kindergarten diagnostic assessment in September prior to entry into the regular kindergarten program. The assessment was a pilot version of a longer instrument that had been used at the school for several years. Results were used for…

A study correlated the results of 25 medical school course examinations (largely multiple-choice), a standardized critical thinking inventory, undergraduate and medical school grade point averages, and medical college admissions test scores for 196 preclinical medical students. Findings suggest that objective multiple-choice examinations can at…

The guide is designed to assist second language teachers in developing and conducting reliable and valid assessments in their classrooms. A wide range of formal and informal evaluation techniques is discussed, including a number of alternative approaches. An introductory chapter gives an overview of the uses and aims of evaluation and previews the…

A study was undertaken to obtain direct empirical evidence for the validity and usefulness of English as a second language (ESL) placement of a shortened version of the Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) Test being used in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) and locally developed and scored writing tests. The LACCD provided…

Intended as a guide in the development of a sound evaluation program utilizing both instructor-produced and standardized tests, this booklet presents a practical, understandable rationale for the development and use of both kinds of testing in the educational setting. Section I discusses the functions of measurement, offering a rationale for…

This guide is intended to help teachers administer tests to adult students so that the students achieve the highest possible test results. The booklet is divided into five sections. The first section reminds the teacher of the various differences in and needs of the adult learner, while the second section gives some tips on how to conduct a…

Both norm-referenced and criterion-referenced interpretations of student, school, district, and state testing data can be improved by customizing the traditional norm-referenced test. Improvements that can be made include: (1) increasing the relevance of the test to the curriculum and (2) having greater confidence in the national comparative…

The tetrad of subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) that best predicts the WISC-R Full-Scale intelligence quotient (IQ) was determined for 1,589 Appalachian students referred for evaluation in grades 1-4, 5-8, and 9-10. The sample was divided into three groups. Students in grades 1 through 4 (n=655) were those…

The oral interaction examination used by Britain's Royal Society of Arts for testing communicative use of English as a foreign language is described. The underlying principles of the test, its structure, administration, issues of reliability and validity, and scoring are outlined. Three components of the test itself are included. One component is…

This handbook resulted from a project to develop a tape-based alternative test of language proficiency in less commonly taught languages. The objective was to produce a test that is modeled on and readily interpretable by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Interagency Language Roundtable (ACTFL/ILR) proficiency guidelines…