Argues against the current oral proficiency testing approach in favor of an approach in which researchers come to understand what it means for real speakers to interact with each other in the everyday world of human activity. Problematic trends are addressed, and a principled theory of oral proficiency is identified. (DJD)

An investigation into classroom teachers' (N=51) reaction to test score reporting formats suggested that teachers more readily recommended children for special education classes when they evaluated percentile ranks than when they evaluated grade equivalents or standard scores. (Author/CB)

Heim's AH4 Test of General Intelligence, Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices, and two Piagetian formal operations tests (Shayer's Science Reasoning Tasks and Arlin's Test of Formal Reasoning) were administered to 459 15-year-olds attending Secondary three (grade nine) in Singapore. A hierarchical factor structure was found underlying all of…

British statistics on university students' social class were reexamined with a national survey of entering students, and found to be only partially accurate, due at least in part to methodology. Comparison with 1961-62 figures showed a considerable change in class distribution, attributed to changing composition of the working population. (MSE)

This study compared the performance on the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) of transfer students with nontransfer students and the performance of transfer students from two-year institutions with those from four-year institutions. Findings are discussed. (MT)

Reviews the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI), a test designed to measure college students' learning and study strategies through self report. Advises that the test is still in experimental form, with a questionable norm group, and thus must be used with caution, especially in interpreting percentile ranks. (SKC)

The utility of intelligence tests for teaching and learning is questionable. These tests and the construct of intelligence have little value in classifying, predicting, and diagnosing the mental competence of Black children. Research may reveal components of mental potential which are more testable. Standardized I.Q. tests should be abandoned. (VM)

Discusses Plato's beauty as simple, organic unity sensed intuitively and reliably by those experienced in their field. Supports the argument that English teachers are capable of assessing student writing abilities when given opportunities to exercise their professional abilities. Concludes that reliable assessment comes from experienced teachers,…

Introduces a technique for comprehension assessment that allows teachers who have had only a moderate amount of training to develop tests that are valid, reliable, and interpretable. Notes that the procedure can be based on any text without an extended tryout and revision process. (FL)

Claims that written tests are superior to objective, scan-tron tests in literature, composition, and vocabulary because they require students to think on paper. Describes the following types of in-class written tests and examines the advantages of each: literary essay, topical composition, imitation, brief answer, timed rewrites, and vocabulary…

Reports on a study of the use of cloze passages in a developmental reading assessment program. The cloze procedure provides students with opportunities to practice their improved reading skills, while affording complete student-as-reader profiles. Concedes the value of standardized tests in determining student readiness to exit developmental…

The relationships between two curriculum variables (graduation requirements and course offerings in various subject areas) on performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) were studied among students in 150 comprehensive high schools. Results indicated that neither graduation requirements nor the number of course offerings bore a statistically…

The authors discuss changes that will appear in the 1988 edition of the General Educational Development (GED) test. Changes include (1) a focus on comprehensive, integrated skills; (2) a need for highly developed thinking skills; (3) use of a computer technology theme; (4) writing assessments; and (5) changes in content areas. (CH)

The means and standard deviations of standard scores on the new Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales vary considerably from age group to age group in the standardization sample. Thus, different standard scores may reflect the same levels of performance in terms of distance from the mean. (Author/CL)

The analytical decomposition demonstrates how the effects of item characteristics, test properties, individual examinee responses, and rounding rules combine to produce the item deletion effect on the equating/scaling function and candidate scores. The empirical portion of the report illustrates the effects of item deletion on reported score…