The use of standardized tests within the Chicago (Illinois) Public School System and elsewhere is discussed in the context of school reform efforts. Standardized tests have been criticized as: being too general to assess all valued outcomes; being too general to fit with local curricula; and directing instruction only to test objectives. Recent…

This is the fourth annual report on New York State's schools written pursuant to legislation enacted in 1987. As in previous years, there is a bimodal curve of achievement, with students in affluent suburban areas doing better than those in concentrated pockets of poverty, particularly in cities. A statistical portrait of the elementary and…

The development of the Polish Proficiency Test, a standardized, nationally-normed test of listening and reading comprehension for English-speaking learners of Polish, is reported. An introductory chapter provides background information about the test's development, including discussion of the relationship between the test and Polish language…

Issues surrounding educational assessment in Australia's Northern Territory are discussed. It is possible that the real issue is not an actual decline in educational standards, but instead, a decrease in public confidence in educational practice. Global patterns in educational testing and the assessment systems of the United States, the British…

This study examined the role that sex-related differences in the nature of the grade criterion and in variables associated with academic performance play in the over- and under-prediction of college grades by the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) both when the test is used alone and in conjunction with high school grades. An entire freshman class…

The two studies described here compare essays composed on word processors with those composed with pen and paper for a standardized writing assessment. The following questions guided these studies: (1) Are there differences in test administration and writing processes associated with handwritten versus word-processor writing assessments? (2) Are…

In their effort to provide quality programing for their diverse student body, the Des Moines Public Schools continually evaluate their teaching and student outcomes. This report presents results about student performance on the following tests: (1) Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS); (2) Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED); (3) American…

The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP), enacted into law in the fall of 1989, was designed to insure that public college students in Texas would have the basic skills necessary to perform in college-level courses. The TASP law requires that students be tested prior to completing 9 or 15 semester hours of college-level work. The law also requires…

In an effort to determine the relationship between English language/writing skills and academic performance in a college-level U.S. History course, a study was conducted of all students enrolled in freshman U.S. History at Oxnard College (California) in spring 1990. The study sample consisted of 112 students, whose scores on the English Subtest of…

This study examined the effect of school attendance, use of English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) services, and language spoken at home on Hispanic students' performance. The academic performance of 101 Hispanic first graders in intensive, regular, and bilingual programs was measured by standardized test scores in reading and mathematics, and report…

Issues related to achieving adequate national norms are reviewed, and a new methodology is proposed that would work to provide a true measure of national achievement levels on an annual basis and would enable reporting results in current-year norms. Statistical methodology and technology could combine to create a national norming process that…

Information is provided about the Delaware Educational Assessment Program and the performance of Delaware public school students as measured by a nationally-normed standardized achievement test. The Stanford Achievement Test, Eighth Edition was administered statewide, allowing comparisons with national performance and with the performance of…

This document argues that current efforts to establish a national test to measure progress toward the nation's educational goals will inhibit, rather than advance, educational reform. Proponents of a national test have asked for single, primarily multiple-choice tests, or for performance assessments to measure progress toward the nation's…

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…

The changes that occurred when a high school in Chattanooga (Tennessee) implemented a seven-period day in place of the traditional six periods were studied. The total time for instruction remained the same, but less time was available for specific subjects because each class was shortened by 10 minutes (from 55 to 45 minutes). Study participants…