Describes educational assessment in Singapore and discusses changes planned to focus assessment on more real-life situations while taking into account research on learning and critical thinking. (SLD)

Presents the results of a combined performance/mapping study used to evaluate a Belgian research institute in microelectronics. Results from one bibliometric approach were used to validate results of another. Findings indicated that the method provides a detailed and useful picture of the position of the institute from an international…

Discusses the kinds of abilities and knowledge that are measured in investigative performance assessment tasks in science. Questions the emphasis placed on the assessment of problem-solving and higher-order skills and calls for a rationale for performance assessment in the dimension of "scientific argumentation." (SLD)

An "ill-defined" informal performance task was constructed to evaluate secondary students' problem solving in mathematics. The task for 170 students in grades 9 and 10 was to evaluate other students' solutions to two mathematics questions. Higher-achieving students generally preferred responses reflecting multiple approaches to problem solving,…

This volume describes the characteristics and functions of test items, presents editorial guidelines for writing test items, presents methods for determining the quality of test items, and presents a compendium of important issues about test items. (SLD)

Discusses shortcomings in both cognitive- and competency-based assessment approaches to art learning. Asserts that they fail on a number of fronts to reflect the full extent of art and how it operates. Questions the degree of accuracy that these assessment approaches can achieve when considering art education. (EV)

Uses a conceptual argument to expand current vision of performance assessment. Examines how the science of assessment is challenged and transformed within a critical science education perspective and the conditions needed to create an equitable and inclusive practice of science and science assessment across diversity. (Contains 34 references.)…

Assessed the predictive validity of the Emotional Accuracy Research Scale (EARS) (J. Mayer and G. Geher, 1996), a performance measure of emotional intelligence, with 40 undergraduate students. Results support the predictive validity of the EARS as a measure of emotional intelligence. (SLD)

Describes an approach to introducing performance measurement into a large federal health program, the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, in response to the government Performance and Results Act. Also discusses characteristics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that present unique challenges for performance measurement. (SLD)

Describes Nebraska's School-based, Teacher-led Accountability and Reporting System, a statewide accountability program that allows local control of assessment methods. Explains the process of developing teacher-designed assessments in business education, including examples of rubrics and alignment of curriculum with content standards. (SK)

Students are not numbers, and schools do more than just teach academic skills. In this article, the author offers some advice for helping adolescents confront the profound questions of life. The author's school, Souhegan High School in Amherst, New Hampshire, is a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools, an organization built on a shared…

The potentially unifying elements of a baccalaureate education are often presented as unaligned parts in separate courses. Thus, general education remains inchoate--unhitched from the somewhat more unifying pull of the major disciplines. This essay explains how application of assessment principles can help to align the parts and hitch them to the…

Since engagement in physical activity is now identified as an important outcome for students, teachers need to assess their students in ways that measure that behavior. Assessment serves many purposes in an educational setting. It can provide feedback, drive instructional needs, and evaluate outcomes of both students and programs. If done…

This study was an exploration of the extent to which higher education tutors' perceptions of assessment were consistent with the construct of authenticity. Depth interviews with 12 academics sought views on what might constitute desirable assessment tasks and scoring methods to use with students. Summaries of transcribed interviews suggested that…

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is working closely with its 24 member boards to implement the four components of a Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Those components include evidence of professional standing, lifelong learning and self-assessment, cognitive expertise, and evaluation of performance in practice. The new…