A synthetic performance test is a job performance test that has been degraded to some degree in the range of tasks covered or in the fidelity of stimulus/response features. Since further development is needed before synthetic performance testing is valid and efficient, this research project focused on three objectives: to (1) identify problems…

The reports presented in this volume are intended to provide a theoretical foundation for and practical applications of multicultural education. Included are the following titles: "Introduction," by Charles D. Moody, Sr.; "Cultural Pluralism: Curriculum Assessment, Development, Implementation and Evaluation," by Loretta Webb; "Multicultural…

This paper describes the development and investigation of a new approach to determining the existence of bias in multiple-choice test scores. Previous work in this area has concentrated almost exclusively on bias attributable to specific test items or to differences in test score distributions across racial or ethnic groups. In contrast, the…

A pilot study on the development and administration of a test using a spatial reasoning problem, the 15-puzzle, is described. The test utilizes on-line capabilities of a real-time computer to record an examinee's progress on each problem through a sequence of problem-solving "moves", and to collect additional on-line data that might be…

THIS FINAL REPORT OF THE EUCLID ENGLISH DEMONSTRATION CENTER DESCRIBES THE CREATION OF A JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH PROGRAM IN LITERATURE, LANGUAGE, AND COMPOSITION. PART 1 OF THE REPORT DISCUSSES (1) THE PRODUCTION AND DEMONSTRATION OF 31 THEMATICALLY-DEVELOPED TEACHING UNITS, (2) A SERIES OF SHORT, CONCEPT-CENTERED CONFERENCES TO EDUCATE…

Issues related to ability testing and affirmative action are discussed, including the fair use of tests in academic and occupational selection, the effects of testing upon the tested individual, and implications of the issues for the major participants. Types and functions of ability tests, both aptitude and achievement, are described. Studies of…

This four-part report deals with minimal competency testing with a focus on test development and the federal role in competency testing. The first section presents highlights of a 1978 conference on "Achievement Testing and Basic Skills" chaired by Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Joseph Califano. The second section contains the…

A classical model for achievement test development was influenced by: the educational tradition of selecting a sample of questions appropriate to a subject and counting the proportion of acceptable responses; the emphasis on obtaining a large and homogeneous sample of questions to insure reliability; and the tradition in psychological testing of…

Language assessment procedures developed by the Houston Independent School District were undertaken to identify limited-English-speaking-ability (LESA) students, mostly Mexican-Americans, for bilingual instruction. Six phases of program development were included: (1) goals, policies and procedures; (2) language assessment; (3) instructional…

The first topic of the conference was creativity. Papers delivered were Knowledge and Creativity by Theodore C. Denise and Hobert W. Burns; Potentiality for Creativity and Its Measurement, by J. P. Guilford; and Some Methodological Issues in the Study of Creativity by Robert L. Thorndike. In the second session, a paper on comparability of scores…

Evaluation plays an important role in the academic career of students and instructors. It is a concept that is repeated throughout the academic year and one that determines future roles and placement of students. This report is a summary of the findings of the first two years of a five-year research study of evaluation conducted at Edinburgh…

The relationship between the Instructional Process, Instructional Objectives, and Assessment Tasks, identified at the School City of Gary, Indiana, necessitate an effective testing program. Four characteristics perceived crucial to a sound program were: (1) The program should be continuous, (2) The testing program should be comprehensive, (3)…

The first half of this report is concerned with the measurement of student achievement in reading comprehension. Following the introduction there is a brief critique of standardized, norm-referenced tests of student performance in reading. It is argued that school districts need tests that are sensitive to instructional treatments rather than more…

The research project's objectives were: survey of the field, development of new approaches and techniques, investigation of factors in the employment of the trainable mentally retarded (TMR), development of objective measurement of work adjustment behaviors, selective application of new methods, and development of a model vocational evaluation…

This study was undertaken to explore the issues involved in test-based-funding (TBF)--the concept that extra resources should be allocated to states or school districts on behalf of pupils with low test scores. The data for the study come from literature bearing on the concept, from documents in three states (Michigan, California, and New York)…