Although normative figures of the performance of late kindergarten and entering first grade students on standardized readiness measures are usually available in the test manuals, no such data is available for pupils about to enter kindergarten. In order to obtain such data, 638 kindergarten (P-K) children in Minnesota were tested on three…

Based on the assumption that English should be central to the school curriculum, this book indicates that the main purpose of the English teacher is not to instruct, but to provide a relaxed, friendly atmosphere in which children can use and improve their language skills. The discussion covers current teaching practices in reading, literature,…

This paper discusses the implications of the "back-to-basics" educational movement, expressing doubts about the advisability of standardized tests and the overall popularity of the movement. It states that learning reading and writing skills depends on the proper educational environment, and suggests that the use of minimum-competency…

An analysis was made of quality ratings of elementary level standardized tests. Applying multidimensional scaling to intercorrelations of quality ratings, it was found that the criterion of content and construct validity was a central element in the evaluation of elementary tests. In addition, several types of validity and reliability were found…

Suggested in the curriculum guide are methods of identifying gifted and talented students and providing suitable instructional programs. Brief sections cover such topics as the following: standardized tests; characteristics of gifted children; objectives of gifted/talented programs; student evaluation; minicourses; materials and learning…

The studies reported in this document reflect the interests and concerns of reading and language arts teachers. Topics of the 10 studies were: a comparison of basal and individualized reading approaches to vocabulary acquisition of fourth graders, a comparison of a formal reading program and an informal general readiness program in kindergarten,…

The British Education Act of 1944 stipulated that instruction and training be offered according to the ages, abilities, and aptitudes of pupils. One specific problem concerned the entry to secondary schools of pupils from a variety of primary schools. The resulting problem of determining the different aptitudes and abilities has been partially…

This pamphlet discusses the need for reliable standardized tests for the selection and classification of Welsh-dominant students in Wales and for the evaluation of their language skills. Because of the correlation in performance, the standardized word-recognition test described here applies to predominantly Welsh-background individuals and not to…

A survey of California community colleges was conducted in order to ascertain what methods were being used to identify students for placement in freshman English courses, and what types of programs and services were being offered for entering students with reading and writing deficiencies. Of 100 colleges surveyed, 64 responded. There seems to be…

The purpose of this study is the substantiation of the use of selective cognitive and affective measures for effective identification of degree and level of academic disadvantagement of Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) students in New York State. This was accomplished by investigating the relationship between academic efficiency (e.g.,…

The purposes of the assessment project were to determine when the fourth grade math skills were acquired by the majority of students in the Salem, Oregon public schools, and to compare accomplishment on the criterion-referenced test with accomplishment on a standardized test. Because the project required testing grades 3-6, multiple matrix…

At issue in this case is the validity of specified uses by North Carolina of the National Teacher Examinations (NTE), a standardized testing program produced and administered by Educational Testing Service. This brief amicus curiae is designed to assist the Court in distinguishing among the valid and inappropriate uses of the NTE and the different…

Under the California Assembly Bill 665 of 1972, the state assessment program must test all students in grades 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 in reading skills, and those in grades 6 and 12 to assess their skills in effectiveness of written expression, spelling, and mathematics. The state may develop its own tests, and a matrix sampling approach may be used…

This paper contains a critical evaluation of the research conducted by O.L. Davis and Carl Personke on the use of reading readiness tests in English and Spanish for Spanish speaking elementary school pupils. Davis and Personke indicated that, when Spanish speaking first graders were tested in both English and Spanish, most of the differences were…

The primary objectives of the Mountain-Plains Career Guidance Program are in the areas of: (1) assisting the student in discovering vocational abilities, values, and interests, and the integration of these into career and occupational choices; (2) nurturing the development of productive worker traits and attitudes; and (3) imparting factual…