One of five modules in the curriculum development series of the 16-module series designed to train vocational education curriculum specialists, this module is intended for use in classes or individual study arrangements at the preservice or inservice level by students with varying amounts of experience in vocational education. (These modules are…

The criterion-oriented problem of test bias and fairness in selection is compared to the construct-oriented problem of comparability of test scores in cross-cultural research. These problems are shown to have important similarities, and their studies may supplement each other. In a formulation of psychometric criteria for the comparability of test…

American education is not as inadequate as public opinion indicates. The literacy and skill of American youth are higher today than forty years ago because of our high achievement standards and commitment to equal educational opportunity. These opposing principles have been reconciled by the diversity encouraged in institutions, teachers, and…

This symposium consists of five papers and presents some recent developments in adaptive testing which have applications to several military testing problems. The overview, by James R. McBride, defines adaptive testing and discusses some of its item selection and scoring strategies. Item response theory, or item characteristic curve theory, is…

This collection contains 74 cognitive objectives and related test items for home economics instruction in grades 7-9. It is organized into the following categories: child development--including toys, babysitting, and home discipline; clothing and textiles; consumer practices; foods and nutrition; and home management and family economics. Each…

This review covers a time span from 1922 to 1980. It examines the link that exists between assessment and teaching. After discussing the milieu in which the two take place, the remainder of the review addresses four questions: (1) how do teachers use test information for instructional decisions?; (2) what has research indicated about the linkage…

The Transitional Curriculum Program at Virginia State University, which is designed to develop underprepared, dependent learners into independent university students, is described. After distinguishing several types of underprepared learners, the following variables are considered: learner success, role of the instructor, and instructor…

The Pre-Postsecondary Program (PPSP) was conducted during the 1974-75 school year at four Ohio secondary schools in order to offer a career exploration program for students in grades 11 and 12 that would be related to the high school content and provide a foundation for careers in the students' areas of interest. The report presents the evaluation…

Project EVOLVE is the last phase of a three-phase special Adult Basic Education (ABE) project, which provided cottage-homeliving and off-campus living experiences for approximately 60 students aged 16-26 who had the relatively greatest potential to succeed in the community. Project EVOLVE refined and disseminated materials and methods for use with…

The concern with the negative impact on blacks of the national trend toward assessing aptitude achievement and intelligence almost solely through test instruction whose validity and/or administration method is often suspect is reflected in this document. It reports the conference proceedings of the National Association for the Advancement of…

This publication (in both English and French versions) on learner assessment in workplace literacy programs begins with a discourse on some dimensions of the testing question. It discusses three major approaches to assessment in the broader area of adult literacy that can shed light in the domain of workplace literacy: traditional, competency…

Performance level assessment (PLA) is a type of supplementary evidence system for competency-based assessment that is being pilot tested at five technical and further education (TAFE) institutes throughout Queensland, Australia. The PLA system uses the following three levels of performance: competency achieved; competency achieved with credit; and…

This document contains eight papers from an action research program to foster good practice in adult literacy provision and policy. "Introduction" (J. Joy Cumming, Christina E. van Kraayenoord) presents an overview of the action research project and individual reports. "Assessment: Making a Difference in Adult Literacy and Numeracy…

This document consists of three separately-published booklets all concerned with criteria for accreditation of educational institutions in New Zealand: (1) "Guidelines and Criteria for Registration of Private Training Establishments"; (2) "Guidelines and Criteria for Obtaining Ministerial Approval of Government Training…

This book presents a systems approach to developing a comprehensive training and development program. It is addressed primarily to human resources development (HRD) managers and training and development practitioners in either the public or private sector, and it may also be useful to individuals responsible for developing instructional programs…