A case is presented for adjusting the scores for free response items in the Advanced Placement (AP) tests. Using information about the rating process from the reliability studies, administrations of the AP test for three subject areas, psychology, computer science, and English language and composition, are analyzed. In the reliability studies, 299…

There is increasing pressure on teachers in higher education to provide assessment systems that are fair, valid, reliable, efficient, and effective. Funding bodies, students themselves, and public opinion have higher expectations, and there is a new emphasis on competence-based systems. Growing numbers of students and financial constraints make…

This paper explores the effect of reviewing items and altering responses on the efficiency of computer adaptive tests (CATs) and the resultant ability measures of examinees. Subjects included 712 medical students: 220 subjects were randomly assigned to the review condition; 492 were randomly assigned to a review control condition (the usual CAT…

This study investigated how instructional goals, activities, and methods for grading in college level courses vary across disciplines and how these course design variables are related to student ratings, class size, and course level. The study used a 44-item, multiple choice questionnaire mailed to 1280 instructors teaching 2700 course sections in…

To alleviate problems associated with free composition as a method of foreign language writing instruction, the directed writing method was adapted for use in a college French composition course. High-quality French texts, often of only a page or two and written by native speakers, are used as a basis for grammatical analysis and discussion and a…

Designed to assist community college instructors in the difficult task of grading students, this seven-part guidebook provides philosophical, theoretical and practical advice. Section I covers common problems associated with grading, the need for grades, and the link between grades and subsequent performance. Section II, "Limitations of Grades,"…

Designed to aid public school educators in placing Vietnamese refugees in American schools, this four-part publication describes the Vietnamese educational system. Part 1 outlines subject requirements and their time allotments by grade level. The Vietnamese curriculum is further subdivided into courses for boys and girls where applicable. Part 2…

This learning module, one in a series of 127 performance-based teacher education learning packages focusing upon specific professional competencies of vocational teachers, deals with determining student grades. Addressed in the individual learning experiences are the following topics: understanding the functions of grades and traditional systems…

In 1989, a survey was conducted at Catonsville Community College to establish a consensus about the underlying philosophy governing the college's grading policy. The survey respondents included 167 full-time or adjunct faculty members, 15 student personnel professionals, 8 administrators, and 6 library, media, or telecommunications professionals.…

A handbook on teaching is presented that covers teaching preparation, the first teaching experience, teaching methods, testing and grading, instructional evaluation and improvement, relationships with students, and teaching resources. An introductory section briefly describes programs for faculty and teaching assistants and programs for students…

The two most commonly used language proficiency tests offered in the United States by foreign countries' chambers of commerce are those of Spain and France. The Spanish test has been introduced recently and has no rigorous and uniform set of rules governing its administration at all centers. Issues arising from the administration of this exam…

This study was designed to determine if the final grade in college biology at a suburban community college was a true measure of student's knowledge. One hundred and seventy undergraduates taking a semester course in biology took part in the study. This population was randomly separated into a control, placebo, and experimental group. The progress…

The syllabus of an introductory course in linguistics intended as a foundation for studies in bilingual/bicultural education, Alaskan native languages, and anthropology is presented. The course was designed for a program for teachers of Yupik as a second language. The course objectives are to introduce students to the internal structure of…

Students' perceptions concerning quality in education, the norm-reference approach to student evaluation, and the problem of assessing how much learning has occurred are discussed. To one sample of students, quality meant desirable institutional characteristics and outcomes concerning their own learning and development. Institutions are likely to…

A study examined the differential grading that occurs in basic speech communication classrooms and attempted to identify predictors for the differences in the grades that male and female students receive. Subjects were 47 women and 48 men randomly selected from an undergraduate speech course at a private midwestern college. Subjects'…