Focuses on the methods of establishing and maintaining content validity of criterion-referenced multiple-choice tests through refined item writing techniques. (Author)

Among suggestions for integrating assessment data into individualized education programs for multiply handicapped deaf students are to use criterion-referenced instruments and to view the domain areas as potential goal statements, the subdomains as potential long term objectives, and subcategory items as potential short term objectives. (Author/CL)

The author examines four testing alternatives for minority group children who consistently do poorly on standardized tests: off-grade-level testing; not testing minority children at all; changing to an easier test; and criterion-referenced testing. He favors the last alternative. (SJL)

Language assessment is reviewed as a technology which could become more effective for classroom use through school-based development and greater use of alternatives to standardized testing. (Author)

Describes a study which sought to develop a criterion-referenced cognitive instrument based on the 83 performance elements contained in 30 teacher education modules. Discusses whether it is educationally sound to conclude that those who possess appropriate teaching skills also possess an appropriate cognitive base. (JOW)

Students can succeed in remedial programs if such programs are well-planned and systematic, say these writers, who offer some guidelines. (Author/JM)

A criterion-referenced language growth measure to diagnose and index growth in English writing skills in hearing impaired students was evaluated utilizing six criteria for adequate language assessment and interrater reliability and validity indices. (Author)

Sets forth a guideline for incorporating humanism into grading with built-in adjustments that accommodate some human weaknesses. Built-in adjustments cancel or neutralize some of the blunders that are inherent in the teaching, learning, and testing processes that reflect student assessment. (Author)

For some situations the beta-binomial distribution might be used to describe the marginal distribution of test scores for a particular population of examinees. Several different methods of approximating the maximum likelihood estimate were investigated, and it was found that the Newton-Raphson method should be used when it yields admissable…

Describes and identifies problems with criterion referenced programs and criterion referenced tests. Among the problems are criterion referenced programs that often are used incorrectly by teachers, are not accompanied by the necessary support system, and often do not inform teachers of how to set instructional objectives for individual students.…

A problem of considerable importance in certain educational settings is determining how many items to include on a mastery test. Applying ranking and selection procedures, a solution is given which includes as a special case all existing single-stage, non-Bayesian solutions based on a strong true-score model. (Author/JKS)

Six informal diagnostic procedures are outlined to assist teachers in assessing how well their students may be able to read assigned readings. The procedures are observation, simplified reading inventory, cloze procedure, informal reading inventory, group reading inventory, and criterion-referenced tests. (MKM)

A procedure is described for the determination of individual mastery scores when instructional units are sequenced in a linear hierarchy. It can be used when data for the entire sequence have been obtained. The process entails working backwards, from the final test to the first. (Author/JKS)

Attempts to select empirically the optimal cutting score or criterion level for a test based on response data from validation samples of instructed and uninstructed students. This score maximizes the probability of correct mastery-nonmastery decisions (or minimizes the probability of incorrect decisions). (Author/RK)

Majority of testing programs is designed to demonstrate the superiority of performance of one student over another rather than evaluate the degree to which an individual has mastered specific skills. The necessity of changing this orientation is discussed. (RW)