Covering the most important aspects of assessing adult basic readers, this collection of articles is introduced by a discussion of the purpose of resource books for adult education. The first article then examines the rationale for assessing reading ability and stresses the importance of purpose and design in assessment. The second article reviews…

Eight papers addressing a variety of issues in communication skills and language arts instruction are contained in this document. Among the topics covered in the eight papers are the following: (1) language structure in teaching reading, (2) issues of dialect-specific materials, (3) language mismatch in the reading classroom, (4) miscue analysis,…

To assess the impact of economic deprivation on students' reading scores in standardized tests, the vocabulary and reading comprehension portions of the California Achievement Test and the Degree of Reading Power test were admininstered to two groups of eighth grade students--60 students participating in the federal free lunch program and 60…

Designed for junior high and high school students and their parents, this brochure explains the structure, function, and method for interpretation of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and the Sequential Tests of Educational Progress. A question and answer format is used to provide information on scope and purposes of the tests, meaning and accuracy…

Adult literacy programs need reliable information about program quality and effectiveness for accountability, improvement of practice, and expansion of knowledge. Evaluation and assessment reflect fundamental beliefs about adult learners, concepts of literacy, and educational settings. Resources for planning program evaluations include surveys,…

Suggestions for students, parents, and teachers on how to prepare students to take standardized tests are presented. The value of deliberate efforts to teach students test-taking skills is supported by research. Activities to prepare students include the following: (1) teachers should develop some of their tests and worksheets in formats similar…

A discussion of the use of standardized tests in second language assessment focuses on the usefulness of program-based language tests aligned with specific curricula and capable of motivating students to participate in classroom activities that are a preparation both for the test and for life after the test. The purpose of this paper is to show…

The evaluation process and results asociated with 1989-1990 reading (kindergarten through grade 12) and language arts (kindergarten through grade 5) programs of the Des Moines (Iowa) Independent Community School District are presented. The evaluation is divided into four parts: context; input; process; and product. Language arts instruction…

The Chapter 1 Corrective Mathematics program provided supplementary, individualized instruction in mathematics using both face-to-face instruction and computer-assisted instruction (CAI) for eligible students attending nonpublic schools in New York City. The objective for the 1988-89 Corrective Mathematics Program was that students would achieve…

Trends in quantitative facts relevant to public education in South Carolina are provided for the 1988-89 school year along with information beginning with the reference year of 1969-70. Twenty-six tables contain statewide information on enrollment, educational finances, programs, and test scores. Thirty-three other tables provide district…

The typical route to certification for beginning foreign language teachers requires the candidate to complete an approved program of teacher education in a four-year institution, have a certain minimum grade point average, and have completed a specified number of foreign language credit hours. Notable trends in foreign language teacher…

Criticism of standardized tests is extensive, and a number of claims of test misuse have been made. Test misuse is discussed in six common circumstances. (1) Test users accept the title of a test as an accurate and complete description of the variable being measured, not having full knowledge of the test, its items, and the test manual. A…

This paper deals with the evaluation of an out-of-school tutorial program, CROSSROADS, which was funded under the U.S. Department of Education's Basic Skills Improvement Program. Like many projects funded under the Basic Skills program, CROSSROADS was terminated after two years even though it had been funded with the expectation of four years for…

Thirteen large state universities offering comprehensive services to learning-disabled students responded to a questionnaire concerning general program characteristics, existing support services, accommodations to aid students in using those services, standardized assessment and diagnosis, and types of academic assistance. Results showed that most…

A collection of papers on evaluation and testing in language learning and teaching for communicative competence includes: "Evaluation in Relation to Communicative Language Teaching" (Viljo Kohonen); "On Determining the Function and Quality of Language Tests" (Jan van Weeren); "On the Trail of Everyday Experience...The Individual Learner's…