Tests of English for foreign students conducted by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (England) and the Educational Testing Service were recognized as equivalent, though different in form and approach, in the 1930s. The underlying goal of the Cambridge certificate of proficiency was control of the English curriculum of…

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…

In an effort to examine issues raised by the effort to assess the performance of educational institutions, a project focusing on the social purposes and intellectual foundations of assessment practices in education was initiated. The primary goal of the project was to explore the possibility of developing new, more appropriate educational…

One of the first tasks in developing the academic achievement indicator for the Plan-Canadian Education Indicators Program was to survey each province and territory about existing student assessment and examination practices. Survey results are reported. There is considerable diversity in Canadian assessment and evaluation practices because…

Elucidates the concepts of evaluation, and maintains that evaluation is an integral part of music education, at all levels. Expounds on the functions of evaluation in music education, dividing the discussion into the following categories: achievement, diagnostic, aptitude, and attitude functions. Addresses the concerns and criticisms of…

Analysis of students' mean scores on two internal medicine clerkship tests at Wright State University investigated test sensitivity and specificity for identifying students with insufficient knowledge, and compared final examination pass rates of counseled and noncounseled students. Results indicate that in-clerkship tests can identify at-risk…

A discussion of second language testing focuses on the need for collaboration among researchers in second language learning, teaching, and testing concerning development of context-appropriate language tests. It is argued that the nature of the proficiency construct in language is not constant, but that different linguistic, functional, and…

Although a large number of adults in the United States are assumed to need literacy training, little agreement exists on that number. Adults who attend literacy instruction are assumed to acquire the skills, but little is known about program effectiveness. Another assumption is that adults should define their goals, but this does not ensure that…

The book is designed to help language teachers write better tests, taking the view that test construction is an exercise in problem-solving, with every teaching situation presenting a different problem that an understanding of the underlying principles of testing can help solve. Examples are given from testing of English as a Second Language…

This study assessed the usefulness of the dynamic testing approach to optimize testing procedures by reducing or eliminating bias, conceived of as error in measurement attributable to factors entering into performance which were not the target of the assessment. The study examined: (1) whether the dynamic assessment approach yields information…

The ways in which achievement in a foreign language is assessed in German secondary schools are outlined and illustrated with examples from the testing of English. The overall organization of assessment procedures is described, the situations for forms 5-10 and 11-13 are differentiated, and the regulations governing conditions for the…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 13 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) the preparation of eighth grade students for criterion referenced reading testing and its effect on standardized reading scores; (2) alternative cloze test…

This booklet is designed to help parents gain a better understanding of testing and its role in the education of their children. Answers to questions concerning the different types of tests given in schools, differences among these tests, how test results are used, what test scores mean and how the scores affect students are provided. Several…

Sketches some of the dilemmas in language assessment and presents exemplary practical approaches to assessment in the language arts areas of listening, oral language, reading, and writing. (SD)

Examines the relationship between a journey and a destination in terms of the educational experience, where learning is the journey but test scores have become the destination. Focuses on the loss of curriculum areas that are untested in favor of the destination of math and reading scores. Asserts that middle school students deserve both measured…