A review of functional literacy testing in the United States from 1955-82 is provided by summarizing the results of literacy assessment studies and synthesizing the major issues which they have engendered. These reviews are grouped with respect to content, criterion-related, and construct validity. The paper concludes by (1) summarizing some of…

Developed during a project designed to provide continuous, performance-based vocational training at the secondary and postsecondary levels, this instructional guide is intended to help teachers implement a laterally and vertically articulated secondary level drafting II program. Introductory materials include a description of Drafting II,…

This booklet contains the competencies, item specifications, and sample items for the mathematics competency tests developed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for administration at grades 3, 7, and 10. Commonly referred to as the "shelf tests," they will be available for the first time during the 1985-86 school year. Ten…

A three-part correlational study examined the explanatory power of the Lexile theory of reading comprehension, which was based on the semantic and syntactic components of prose. Correlations were performed between the item difficulties of nine nationally normed reading comprehension tests and computer generated difficulties which were reported in…

In 1982 the Dade County Public Schools (Florida) began developing test item banks for secondary subject areas, because other testing programs have limited utility for assessing the quality of curriculum, instruction, or learning in specific content areas. In May l984, the approximately 17,000 seventh graders enrolled in Life Science and the…

The objectives and assessment characteristics of the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Tests for grade 1 are given to show teachers the range of content and type of questions. In mathematics, objectives are defined in areas of: (1) concept identification, recognition of the names and relationships between numbers; (2) component operations, use of…

The objectives and assessment characteristics of the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Tests of reading and mathematics for grade 2 are given to familiarize teachers and curriculum directors. In mathematics, objectives are defined for: (1) concept identification, testing understanding of the basic vocabulary and relationships of numbers; (2) component…

The objectives and assessment characteristics of the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Tests for grade 3 are defined for reading and mathematics. Mathematics objectives are given for: (1) concept identification, the recognition of names, relations, and properties of numbers and units; (2) component operations, using numbers and unit of measurement; and…

The reading and mathematics objectives of the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Tests for Grade 4 are described. In reading, objectives are defined for: (1) literal comprehension, the understanding of information explicitly stated in the materials; (2) inferential comprehension, the understanding of information not literally expressed; and (3) problem…

This study from the city school district in Saginaw, Michigan measures the effects of the Chapter 1 Academic Achievement program on fifth grade students during the 1981-82 school year. A total of 463 students were classified into four categories depending on whether they were single year, multiple year, or continuous participants in the program;…

An emerging issue in teacher education is the essential knowledge that is a prerequisite to successful pedagogical and subject matter instruction. Skills in communication, both oral and written, and computation are critical areas which must be sufficient for further instruction. This paper addresses the issues of responsibility for developing and…

A project was conducted to develop and test three criterion-referenced achievement tests for use in Oklahoma's Dietetic Support Personnel training program. The training program is a competency-based course of instruction that is designed to prepare food service and production workers for employment in Oklahoma's health care industry. Initial…

The potential of a cognitive model task analysis scheme (CMS) that specifies features of test problems shown by research to affect performance is explored. CMS describes the general skill area and the generic task or problem type. It elaborates features of the problem situation and required responses found by research to influence performance.…

The proposed standard for judging proficiency test score reliability requires that the proportion of items passed for each objective assessed be a dependable estimate of the universe score for the domain strata established by the objective. Domain breadth is the focusing issue. Data from a field trial of the Tennessee Proficiency Test are analyzed…

This publication is designed to supplement the Comprehensive Small Engine Rapair guide by covering in detail all aspects of lawn and garden equipment repair not included in general engine repair or the repair of other small engines. It consists of instructional materials for both teachers and students, written in terms of student performance using…