F. Samejima (1973) proposed a continuous response model in which item response is on a continuous scale rather than some discrete levels. This model has potential because in many psychological and educational assessments, the responses are on a conceptual continuum rather than on some fixed levels. As a first step toward studying the applicability…

Editorial practices revolving around tests of statistical significance are explored. The logic of statistical significance testing is presented in an accessible manner--many people who use statistical tests might not place such a premium on them if they knew what the tests really do, and what they do not do. The etiology of decades of misuse of…

In recent years, policymakers have shown renewed interest in the development of educational indicators hoping that specific quantitative indices will help them monitor the status of the educational system, understand its failures and successes, and build more effective remedies for perceived problems. This document is the final report of a study…

These FORTRAN programs and MATHEMATICA routines were developed in the course of a research project titled "Achievement and Assessment in School Science: Modeling and Mapping Ability and Performance." Their use is described in other publications from that project, including "Latent Traits or Latent States? The Role of Discrete Models…

A number of issues related to assessment of students undergoing English enhancement courses were raised at a workshop on assessment held at The University of Hong Kong Language Centre. The primary focus of the workshop was to update staff about current assessment practices in the various programs run by the Language Centre and to discuss issues of…

The Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP) has completed development and evaluation of student and teacher materials for an integrated 3-year high school mathematical sciences curriculum for all students. This paper provides a brief overview of the CPMP curriculum in terms of its design and theoretical framework as well as a profile of the…

The Assessment Clearinghouse of the Memphis (Tennessee) City Public Schools is a collection of performance-based instructional tasks that have been designed to address specific content standards at specific grade levels. The tasks consist of a complete set of instructional and assessment activities for immediate classroom use. They also provide a…

This paper describes the development and validation of a school-accountability model. The model is based on the assumption that schools represent dynamic systems in which a change in one element will affect all other elements. The model's primary elements are educational input, processes, and outcomes. The paper examines various accountability…

This document consists of 32 consecutive issues of Mid-Western Educational Researcher, published quarterly from 1991 through 1998. Mid-Western Educational Researcher is a scholarly journal that publishes research-based articles addressing a full range of educational issues. The journal also publishes literature reviews, theoretical and…

An assessment model is presented that breaks reading down into six discrete skill areas that are both teachable and assessable. The six traits of an effective reader are: (1) decoding conventions; (2) establishing comprehension; (3) realizing content; (4) developing interpretation; (5) integrating for synthesis; and (6) critiquing for evaluation.…

This study examined the prevalence amd progression toward generally accepted goals of comprehensive student assessment programs (CSAP) using data from the Higher Education Panel's stratified sample of 455 colleges and universities, of which 357 responded for a usable response rate of nearly 80%. The data indicated that about one-third of the…

Compares the accuracy of various student test score projection techniques, including idiographic analysis, standard score method, regression analysis, and a differential equation growth model. Concludes with an overview of the problems of projecting student test scores and suggests a stochastic procedure based on Bayesian analysis for educational…

This article contains a small sampling of some of the research findings of the National Assessment in social studies, citizenship, science, reading, writing, literature, and music. (RC) Aspect of National Assessment (NAEP) dealt with in this document: Results (Overview).

Presents three questions that should be posed and answered to ensure the meaningful appraisal of student capability and achievement. The questions include the purpose of the assessment, enumeration of the particular things being assessed, and how the assessment is being effected. (GS)

Advocates the establishment of clear-cut assessment criteria to make feedback to the student more useful and more effective in generating intrinsic motivation. (GS)