Some of the deficiencies and abuses associated with past testing practices are reviewed, and some of the present and future possibilities for educational assessment are explored. At this time, assessment and testing in American schools are caught between the rhetoric of reform and the intransigence of long-established practices. Use of measurement…

This policy is intended to serve as a guide for the selection and retention of materials for the Watson Memorial Library of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches (Louisiana) and its two branch facilities in Leesville and Shreveport. The mission of the university, the creation, dissemination, and acquisition of knowledge, is also that of…

In 1991, a study was conducted at Broome Community College in New York to determine the differences between those faculty members and administrators that supported affirmative action/equal access and those who did not. The study was undertaken to determine whether policies and procedures needed to be refined to ensure equal access and promotional…

The 1990 High School Transcript Study provides information regarding current course offerings and students' course-taking patterns in the nation's secondary schools. Since similar studies were conducted of the course-taking patterns of 1987 and 1982 graduates, changes can be studied. Transcripts were collected from 21,589 students who graduated…

The Kinder Lernen Deutsch (LKD) materials evaluation project identifies materials appropriate for the elementary school German classrooms in grades K-8. This guide consists of an annotated bibliography, with ratings, of these materials. The guiding principles by which the materials were assessed were: use of the communicative approach; integration…

This guide, intended for parents and families in Arkansas who have school-age children with disabilities, shows parents ways to work with schools to assure provision of needed technologies. The guide is divided into five sections, each using a question and answer format. After defining "assistive technology and services," the first…

California educational legislation enacted in July 1990, ended state issuance of community college credentials. Faculty in the state's community colleges now assume significant responsibility for evaluating the qualifications of prospective teaching personnel. Within the next 10 years, 50% of current community college faculty will retire and…

A survey of 40 senior personnel directors of medium-sized and large employers in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area identified characteristics of unskilled applicants most highly valued by employers. These personnel directors estimated the probability that 16 hypothetical unskilled individuals would be hired at their firm. Each hypothetical…

This book is designed to introduce education students to the essentials of measurement and evaluation. It focuses on the topics essential to effective classroom teaching and treats these topics in a way that emphasizes the human context that surrounds and guides their use. The book is organized into three main sections. The first is understanding…

This report provides information about the performance of 1998 graduating seniors nationwide who took the ACT Assessment as sophomores, juniors, or seniors. Caution in applying these results is advised because these ACT-tested seniors may not be representative of the total population of graduating seniors. Information is provided according to the…

This paper reports on a study in which data on audiobook borrowers' backgrounds, borrowing practices, and desires were collected, in order to assist library staff in making informed collection development decisions and being responsive to patron needs. Participants were patrons of the Salem Public Library (Ohio). An anonymous questionnaire was…

This study was initiated by the Newfoundland Public Library Services (NPLS) to assess the feasibility of automation for the library services and to determine the viability of an integrated automated library system for the NPLS. The study addresses the needs of NPLS in terms of library automation; benefits to be achieved through the introduction of…

An examination was made of the evidentiary problems that exist in using a disparate impact theory to challenge the subjective criteria many organizations use to hire, promote, or dismiss upper-level professional and managerial employees. Although subjective criteria occur at all levels of employment, they are especially prevalent when dealing with…

Construction of a work sample test, the Investigator Planning Exercise (IPE), for the job of detective in the Chicago (Illinois) Police Department is described. Simulated crime scenarios, a mock crime scene, and five checklists of necessary skills (i.e., ability to summarize and communicate facts, identify inconsistencies, and determine the next…

A guide to various instructional technology (IT) approaches is aimed at modern language teachers who are just beginning to integrate IT into their methodology. Hints and suggestions are given about what questions to ask when acquiring a computer and buying software and how to avoid some problems. Chapters include the following: (1) Why should I?;…