Test application and implementation of techniques and methods developed in the planning model, A Policy Information System for Vocational Education, are described in this report. (The computer planning model and policy information system designed for use in planning at the local level brings variables of student interest, manpower demand,…

The four papers in this collection were drawn from a symposium convened to review the state of the art in speaking and listening assessment at all educational levels and to suggest strategies for addressing the technical issues, particularly those relating to test bias and the use of rating scales, that speaking and listening assessors often face.…

This study evaluated the procedures and results of the identification of children with Perceptual-Communicative Disorders (PCD) in Colorado. The process of identification includes referral, assessment, staffing and placement. The number of children identified as PCD by current procedures is large and growing. Variations in the prevalence of PCD…

Discussed are the procedures implemented in the Orleans Parish Schools in response to the Louisiana state-mandated promotional testing program (Act 750, 1979), and concerns regarding its value. Recent findings raise fundamental questions about whether an exclusively skills-focused curriculum in the early years provides the needed grounding in…

One of the two major phases of the Test Use Project of the Center for the Study of Evalaution (CSE) is discussed; that is, the collection and analyses of survey data from a national sample of teachers and principals representing the targeted grades/schools. Some historical background influencing that phase of the project is provided. The findings…

The paper outlines identification and social problems regarding the gifted bilingual bicultural student and offers suggestions to parents and teachers for alleviating those problems. Noted among problems in identification is that minority students may not exhibit behaviors and characteristics which are recognized as manifestation of talents and…

Reading comprehension tests usually contain reading passages followed by multiple choice questions about the passages; but one potential weakness of this format is that the questions may be "passage independent," answerable without necessarily reading the passage first. When examining this phenomenon by assessing a particular test, the…

Three papers--by educational economists Kurt L. Kendis, Steven J. Klees, and Alan P. Wagner--independently examine the economic impact of college credit by examination (CBE) on students, institutions, and higher educational systems. Major issues are identified and further research topics are suggested. Kendis suggests the following results of CBE:…

The effect of anxiety on learning in a variety of educational contexts is reviewed in general, and two areas of anxiety research especially relevant to educational psychology are reviewed in detail. The first is test anxiety reduction programs, and the second is the outcomes of these programs and the interaction between anxiety and instructional…

Issues associated with the ACT (American College Testing) Assessment Program illustrate the need to assess college entrance examinations in terms of the variety of common predictive uses such as estimation of first year grade point average (GPA), or chances of obtaining a C average after certain semesters or in specific courses. Test developers…

Two studies investigated the effects of earning college credits for freshman year courses--as a result of performance on the College Level Examination Program's (CLEP) General Examinations--on later academic success. These are multiple choice tests of English composition, social science, natural science, humanities, and mathematics. Both studies…

Questionnaires concerning the users of educational tests were returned by 87 school superintendents in the United States and 228 members of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME). Most NCME respondents were associated with colleges. The NCME sample represented measurement experts, while the superintendents represented…

Although much has been written about educational evaluation, few guidelines exist for consumers--project directors, school administrators, curriculum developers, legislators, teachers, parents, and boards of education. Several cautions surface from a review of the literature. First, tests that are based on program objectives are most useful to…

Organized as a question-and-answer booklet, this parents' guide explains scores on standardized reading achievement tests. Examples illustrate the meaning of certain grade equivalent scores. The grade equivalent method is described as a poor way to report scores; raw scores, percentiles, and stanine ranges are discussed as alternatives. The…

The Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) was mandated to meet the requirements of the 1974 amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It was hoped that TIERS would lead to a clear report of the effectiveness of Title I programs, based upon a synthesis of nationwide data. It has been extremely difficult to compare…