Recent state and national developments regarding assessment of higher education suggest that a decisive point for assessment policy is approaching. Too many higher education leaders remain uninvolved, and public patience is wearing thin. Increasing frustration with higher education may lead public policymakers toward greater prescription and…

Recently, governments have become interested in assessment as a key mechanism for monitoring and intervening in the educational process. Problems in implementing new approaches to assessment in the context of national testing and evidence from a new national test are illustrated through the National Assessment of England and Wales. (SLD)

Methods used to evaluate a curriculum of nine medical departmental clerkships are described, and insights about the value of these methods in studying complex learning environments are discussed. Combining data on the 22 subjects obtained by 5 distinct methods allows examination of the big picture and specific details. (SLD)

Reviews legal arguments used to challenge traditional testing programs in prior litigation and indicates how these arguments might be applied in a performance-assessment application. Examines discrimination challenges to performance assessments in employment contexts. Suggests ways to deal with the psychometric issues most likely to be encountered…

Approaches used to evaluate student progress depend on the educational philosophy involved, because each philosophy determines what learners should learn. Approaches reviewed include (1) the testing movement; (2) self-evaluation by students; (3) idealism and the evaluation process; (4) experimentation and evaluation; and (5) perennialism and…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) was originally used to report academic improvement or decline in the performance of 9-, 13-, and 17-year olds across major geographic regions. State-by-state comparison was carefully avoided. In 1988, however, Congress authorized the NAEP to conduct voluntary Trial State Assessments. (CJS)

Suggests that the National Assessment of Educational Progress's (NAEP) Trial State Assessment (TSA) will provide reliable and valid state-by-state comparisons of what students have learned and will assess their progress over time. The TSA will also provide information on home learning environments, instructional practices, educational resources,…

Suggests that the proposed state-by-state National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) will be unable to provide information about which state programs are responsible for differences in test scores. Raises concerns about its cost effectiveness and potential loss of validity if used in state comparisons. (CJS)

A project on quality assessment has been started by the Association of Cooperating Universities in The Netherlands, and the quality of 26 university degree programs has been assessed by committees of independent experts. The political and institutional environment of this project, the approach taken, and the results are described. (Author/MLW)

These authors describe how current cognitive theory has produced two instruments for instructors to use in determining the skill levels and study strategies that dominate their students' approaches to classroom materials. The two instruments are the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) and the Motivated Strategies for Learning…

Identifies problems inherent in writing assessment. Suggests that the measurement of minority students' test results can pose difficulties. Cites the practical impossibility of finding objectively true answers to some questions and of making value-free assessments of what students learn. Highlights conflicting views of writing teachers and writing…

Discussed is the transfer of the teacher education system into the university sector in Turkey. The needs for a new model for student assessment, and to select and attract more capable and committed individuals into teaching are identified. (Author/CW)

Announced is an approval service for associate degree programs in chemical technology at two-year colleges. Features of the program and ways that institutions may become involved in the program are discussed. (CW)

Results of a study of 88 Louisiana teachers support the construct validity of the System for Teaching and Learning Assessment and Review (STAR), a comprehensive classroom-based system for assessing teaching and learning but suggest that the use of teacher nominations of colleagues for designation as superior teachers is questionable. (SLD)

In planning for mathematical assessment, there are several theoretical and practical problems of which the mathematics teacher must be aware. These are discussed under the subheadings of scope; assessment of concepts and higher-order thinking skills; and alignment. Assessors should consider pedagogical approaches when planning assessments. (SLD)