Behavioral objectives and how they are to be evaluated in the first year of teaching Russian are discussed. A model test for evaluating stated objectives is given and discussed. (RM)

Three methods for setting performance standards for criterion referenced tests--theories, expert judgments, and practical necessity--are reviewed. The author concludes that the use of performance standards is not a promising vehicle for making societal decisions. (Author/JKS)

A set of guidelines for evaluating criterion-referenced tests is presented. Additionally, 11 sets of extant criterion-referenced tests are evaluated using these guidelines. (JKS)

A collage of excerpts about the Florida Minimum Competencies Testing Program. (Author/MLF)

The Canadian Institute for Research in Behavioral and Social Sciences of Calgary was awarded a contract by the Provincial Government of Alberta to assess student skills and knowledge in reading and written composition. Here evaluation is defined and the use of standardized and criterion referenced tests for evaluating reading performance are…

Despite differences in origin and orientation, Piagetian theory and criterion referenced measurement share a general purpose--that of diagnosing human behavior. Beginning with a review of both perspectives, this paper illustrates their highly comparable natures and indicates how they could be used together to improve student evaluation. (Author/…

This is a special issue examining needs assessment as an important part of educational technology. Articles discuss: kits, models, and tools; politics; practitioner problems; government use; criterion referenced tests; public schools; U.S. Army training programs; secondary special education; higher education; instructional design; and a taxonomy…

According to the author, this article presents a hypothetical example for designing a supervisory training program by (1) performing organizational, operations, and person analyses; (2) formulating instructional objections; (3) performing a content analysis; and (4) constructing criterion-referenced tests. (MF)

The fakability of responses to the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons Inventory (ATDP) was investigated through applying two criteria requiring subjects to identify the favorable responses and three using "honest" test - "faked response" retest techniques. Considerable differences were noted among the items identified as…

Describes components of the Prediction System, one section of the computer-based System of Interactive Guidance and Information (SIGI). Students who use the SIGI Prediction System are provided with detailed criterion information and asked to rate themselves. Predictive validities for final grades in four courses were examined. Consistent findings…

Proposes a new form of educational assessment termed "standards-referenced assessment." The approach blends much of the motivation and philosophy of criterion-referenced assessment with direct and extensive use of teachers' qualitative judgments. Identifies four methods of specifying and promulgating educational standards. (Author/JDH)

This special issue covers recent technical developments in the field of criterion-referenced testing. An introduction, six papers, and two commentaries dealing with test development, test score uses, and evaluation of scores review relevant literature, offer new models and/or results, and suggest directions for additional research. (SLD)

In 1975, the Philippines launched Project Survey of the Outcomes of Elementary Education (SOUTELE) to determine the state of elementary education. Project SOUTELE, which emphasizes a battery of criterion-referenced academic achievement tests, represents a movement toward the development of national quality standards. Results have implications for…

If teacher competency tests were constructed according to a criterion-referenced paradigm, it would be possible both to assess worthwhile competencies and describe them with sufficient rigor. Such tests would thus be amenable to the design of effective instruction, permitting aspiring teachers to master the competencies identified. (Author/GC)

This paper describes some experimental work with teachers in a number of Australian schools to provide criterion-referenced assessments of student achievement. Student performance is analyzed using assessment materials developed within each school. Teachers are provided with computer generated reports and assisted in monitoring progress. (LMO)