This collection of examples of authentic assessments has been compiled to provide a sampling of the many new strategies for evaluating student work and learning that are being developed and used in schools around the country. These strategies are called "authentic" because they require that students demonstrate what they can do as…

This paper offers a scenario for how educational assessment might change in response to market forces that affect not only the future of large-scale testing but also society in general. The scenario divides into three generations distinguished by the purpose of testing, test format and content, and the extent to which testing capitalizes on new…

This manual provides screening guidelines for rural preschool and kindergarten programs and describes the development of a model Early Screening Program (ESP) that involves nine child stations and two parent stations. Screening stations developed for assessment included: (1) gross motor; (2) visual motor; (3) visual perception; (4) auditory…

An attempt to improve high school teachers' integration of testing and instructional practice through inservice training failed to produce substantial results. In each of five districts participating, one high school used the intervention and one served as a control. Three science teachers were trained in each school, one as a lead teacher. Data…

The Center for the Study of Evaluation's (CSE) Test Use Project (1979) has gathered information that is nationally representative and illustrative of the entire range of tests being administered. The primary intention of this phase of the ongoing study is to identify the direct and indirect costs of testing. The four papers included here offer…

The SCOPE test battery has been developed by the Department of Education so that Northwest Territories teachers can have a tool to measure classroom learning. SCOPE is based on a criterion-referenced approach to testing, meaning the tests are designed to determine each pupil's mastery of the skills embodied in the objectives of the Northwest…

This document describes the theory and practice of testing; illuminates competing interests in a balanced fashion; and helps those who make decisions with tests or about testing to reach better-informed judgments. Part 1, the report of the Committee, presents a wide-ranging discussion of testing issues. The text has been kept largely free of the…

A review of the literature on the influence of testing on learning and retention reveals the need for more comprehensive research findings in this regard. This study was designed to investigate further the direct effects of tests in contrast with no tests on learning and retention in ongoing college-level classes with both the instructor and the…

The objectives, construction, and use of the lowest and most general test of the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Paris series of business French proficiency tests are outlined, and the centers authorized to administer the test in the United States are listed. (MSE)

Discusses the increasing number of legal challenges to high-stakes testing, which can potentially impact developmental education programs nationally. Analyzes challenges to the tests in four states, and suggests that the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) may lead to lawsuits if a child has not received an appropriate education. (Contains 15…

Asserts that educators should reject test-based reform and focus instead on assessment practices that encourage higher level learning. Simply demanding higher scores, even with rewards and sanctions attached, is ineffective. Academic success comes not by teaching to standardized tests but by teaching for deeper, important meaning. (Contains 22…

A discussion of alternative evaluation techniques looks at tests that college students retake at home immediately after completing in class; exams requiring thoughtful application; group multiple-choice tests; paired testing; answer justification; a variety of take-home exams; immediate feedback; cost/benefit testing; retesting; and reaction or…

Study investigated accountability task structures related to high school physical educators' systematic evaluation, formal assessment, and objective grading procedures. Research found inconsistencies between what teachers reported in writing and the content of student assessment and what they emphasized to students and actually assessed. Many…

Discussion of the newly modified United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 reviews the test, phase-in plans, and potential impact on basic biomedical sciences education. It is recommended that medical schools not use the test as the sole criterion for promotion to the third year and carefully review other examination-related requirements…

A University of Hawaii study compared objective and subjective assessments of the three-step triple jump examination which tests medical students' clinical problem-solving processes. Subjects were 58 first-year students. Results found the subjective assessments were more consistent across problems of varying difficulty level than were objective…