Language testing historians have tended to ignore a significant period in the evolution of language tests, the years 1883-1929. In the earliest years, testing focused on knowledge about, not of, the language and reflected the teaching of Latin and Greek more than that of living languages. Grammatical formalism and translation were emphasized, and…

The four articles in this theme issue provide an overview of assessment in the social studies and the rationale behind the movement for a more authentic assessment of learning outcomes. In the first article, "Thinking as an Unnatural Act," William T. Daly offers a clear rationale for social studies teachers to re-examine the methods of assessing…

Schools that are concerned with evaluating their programs need more than just the average scaled assessment scores from standardized tests. To help schools, the Massachusetts Educational Assessment Program produces school and district reports that contain the stories behind the averages. These reports describe the kind of students who took the…

The question of whether tests can be both curriculum-neutral and effective means of monitoring and motivating educational practice is discussed. Educational reform and testing are intimately linked, as tests are widely viewed as a means of educational improvement. Tests/assessments influence educator behavior by stimulating them to assure that…

Test instruments designed for limited English proficient (LEP) students from pre-school through adult are reviewed in this annotated bibliography. The assessments cited have been evaluated for reliability, validity, and equity, the latter being an emerging criterion in the process of evaluating assessment instruments. The tests most commonly used…

The Nongraded Primary Learning Communities Program (NPLCP) was introduced at the beginning of the 1990-91 school year in three Houston Independent School District elementary schools. This evaluation describes the implementation of the NPLCP; examines the effect of the NPLCP on students' standardized achievement test scores; and evaluates teacher…

The way in which the partial credit model is being used in one large education system to analyze performance on standard assessment tasks undertaken by all students in their final year of high school is described. The assessment tasks include investigative projects, laboratory tasks, worked problems, drawings and studio work, essays, and…

Assessment in the National Curriculum in England and Wales is an example of a different model. The report of the government-appointed working group on assessment, Task Group on Assessment and Testing (1988), states that assessment: (1) is an integral part of both teaching and learning; (2) should not determine what is to be taught and learned; and…

This guide presents ways for practitioners to use Chapter 1 achievement data to better understand and evaluate elements of a Chapter 1 program. A variety of types and levels of questions can be addressed with achievement data. Combining standardized achievement test scores with data from the program and from the regular classroom greatly increases…

Three variables--student attendance, stability of enrollment, and socioeconomic status--can affect reservation students' performance on standardized tests as significantly as the quality of instruction. To test the impact of the three variables on academic achievement, the Ganado (Arizona) Unified School District No. 20 analyzed available…

Studies in education often report the differences between participants' and non-participants' test scores, course grades, retention, and other criteria. When participants' average performance is higher, it can be difficult to attribute the improvements to participation. Comparing participants and non-participants on other measures can strengthen…

A wave of criticism has been leveled at standardized achievement tests of basic skills. Part of the debate concerns the types of tests administered, such as the Standardized/Norm-Referenced tests, Criterion-Referenced tests, Minimum Competency tests, National Assessment of Educational Progress tests, alternatives to standardized tests, IQ tests,…

A collection of 10 papers on minority education is presented, with sections on legal aspects of access for minorities, minority faculty and staff, minority graduate education, and standardized testing in the admission of minority students. Papers are as follows: "The Legal Obligation to Secure Access for Minority Students in Higher Education"…

Although performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test Program (ACT) indicates that Wisconsin's students are superior to those of other states, a more thorough assessment reveals that the state does not compare well with its neighbors either on the general level of academic preparedness or in efforts to develop…

The guide is designed to assist school districts in designing and implementing programs to: (1) meet the needs of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students; and (2) be in compliance with state statutes and regulations. The guidelines are presented in seven sections, the first six corresponding to the sections of the program plan that must be…