Opinions about the purpose and effectiveness of test preparation seminars vary, but it is clear that preparation for standardized tests is here to stay. The literature suggests that students do benefit from preparation for standardized tests. The effect of test preparation seminars on standardized achievement tests was studied for 30 of 100 high…

This report presents performance data and the standards of performance that form the basis of school improvement in Maryland. The report reflects an accountability system that is central to the Maryland School Performance Program (MSPP) and that is designed to move the state toward high quality education. The report includes Maryland School…

This study investigated the efficacy of noncognitive variables for predicting college student achievement in an introductory psychology course. The sample included 102 new first-year students at a private urban university and 233 new first-year students at a rural public university. Data were collected on self-ratings of overall academic ability,…

It would be foolish to succumb to the view that the educational problems of America are limited to schools in poor neighborhoods or to students from disadvantaged families. Across the country, whether in suburban affluence or urban poverty, students' commitment to school is at an all-time low. This low level of student commitment is matched by…

This study investigated inservice teachers' assessment competency as a function of measurement training and years of teaching. Data were collected from 311 teachers on a 67-item Assessment Practices Inventory (API). Seven composite scores were formed based on the underlying dimensions from a principal factor analysis. A 2x3 MANOVA was conducted to…

In compliance with state law, the Austin Independent School District (AISD) (Texas) provides programs to help students identified as limited English proficient (LEP). These are Bilingual Education (BE) courses which provide dual-language instruction in major content areas, and English as a Second Language (ESL), which provides intensive English…

This guide provides advice on effective use of assessments in adult basic and literacy education programs. Chapter 1 considers different types of standardized tests, their purposes, their advantages and limitations, misuses of standardized tests, and other types of assessments. Chapter 2 on informal assessments defines alternative and informal…

This paper discusses whether or not revisions of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT) have created such significant differences between the two tests that a student could conceivably score significantly higher on one than the other. The SAT has been revised to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student…

State program practices in norm-referenced testing (NRT) are described as found in the 1990-91 school year and prior years to provide information on years of administration of the same test and the age of the norms. All 50 State Departments of Education were surveyed in 2 stages. States without NRT were asked to described their testing policies;…

During the course of a large-scale study of teacher preparation for standardized tests in two low-stakes school districts, the question of whether the attitudes of teachers about standardized tests are a factor in their administration of mandated standardized tests in the classroom was addressed. Third-, fourth-, and sixth-grade teachers (n=178)…

National assessments of student academic achievement in various subjects and grades are conducted each year in France. However, there is no formal evaluation of student performance in various cross-curriculum domains, such as study skills, self-image, interest in learning, cooperative attitudes, social competence, or civic knowledge and values.…

As part of a larger study of implementation of alternative assessment, a survey of parent opinions about standardized tests and performance assessments was conducted in three elementary schools. In the three participating schools, 3rd-grade teachers attended workshops on assessment development and implemented these practices in their classrooms.…

This paper describes a workshop designed to lead teachers toward the use of open ended response questions rather than multiple choice items. The rationale was based on the assumption that assessment will become more authentic because it will measure depth of understanding and deal with both content and process. Authentic assessment is defined as…

A study investigated the validity of a second-language student's actual speed of delivery of a passage read aloud as an indicator of second-language fluency. The study, conducted in Hong Kong with 83 secondary school students, used the oral dialogue test in a standardized secondary school-leaving examination. The dialogues were timed and the rate…

The notion of phenomenal causality of C. Kraft (1991) was applied in the formulation of a self-report instrument to measure student perceptions of the dimensions of academic success. Instrument items were inspired by the students themselves in several hours of dialogue. Subjects were 55 male and 49 female black high school students at a summer…