The use of standardized achievement tests as the primary criterion measures in the evaluation of basic skills programs has been criticized. In a comparative study of three types of tests, this article examines the major issue behind this criticism. (Author/JAZ)

Grades given by primary school teachers were found to reflect classroom-specific achievement more than widely valued achievement measured by standardized test scores. The strongest determinant of grading, however, was found to be the effect that a grade in one subject has on the grade in a second subject. (Author/RM)

Examines Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Analytical Ability Test as admissions factor for master's degree in library and information science. Correlations of GRE General (Aptitude) Test scores and grade point averages for graduates and denied applicants of University of Illinois master of library science degree program are included. (7…

At the request of governing boards and legislatures, increasing numbers of state colleges and universities are using "value-added" tests and surveys to measure student learning in college. The measures compare academic achievement and student analytical skills before and after certain periods of college study, usually using standardized…

Describes an investigation which assessed predictive value of Iowa Test of Educational Development, Science Research Associates Inc.'s Computer Programming Aptitude Battery, and Wolfe Programming Aptitude Test for predicting secondary school students' success in computer science courses, to develop a prediction model, and to estimate mastery…

This reaction paper stresses the importance of matching the qualitatively different types of educational decisions with appropriate types of tests. Reading instruction is used to illustrate that while standardized tests are helpful for student classification and program accountability, they are hazardous to instructional process decisions which…

Recent statistics presented for each state include American College Testing Program scores, Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, high school graduation percentages and rankings, pupil-teacher ratio, average teacher salary, federal funding, per-pupil expenditures, expenditure as a percent of income per capital, per capita income, poverty rates, median…

Describes the Prueba de Lectura y Lenguaje Escrito (PPLE--roughly translatable as the "Test of Early Language Development") that may meet the need for standardized and diagnostic tests of reading and written composition in Spanish. (HOD)

Compares twelfth-grade students' performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) with their performance on the Metropolitan Achievement Test 1: Reading Survey or the Degrees of Reading Power Test, concluding that the findings challenge the notion that low SAT scores indicate a lack of basic reading skills. (HOD)

Should law schools decide to consider other than traditional academic student characteristics as admission criteria, the Law School Admission Council should undertake an extensive research program to design new instruments measuring a broad and perhaps more relevant range of applicant characteristics and skills. (MSE)

This report is the sixth analysis of state reports conducted by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) to examine the extent to which states publicly report information about students with disabilities in statewide assessments. Descriptions of statewide testing systems are presented and examined as to whether these systems included…

This student handbook helps students in grades 6 and 7 to prepare for high school and college. It urges them to plan now so that they can get on the right track and take the classes they need. The handbook encourages these students to discover their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and abilities to learn how they can prepare them for their…

This brief describes how Maine's introduction of its ubiquitous 1-to-1 laptop program has been beneficial to learning, if one looks in the right places. There is growing positive evidence from teachers, parents, classroom assignments and tests, and even in one case, on a standardized test, all pointing toward a similar conclusion. Students are…

Possible relationships between five test examiner characteristics (gender, race, tenure, experience as a test administrator, and experience as a test developer or scorer) and six student achievement scores (reading, writing, language usage, mathematics, science, and social studies) were studied at the school level in a statewide assessment. The…

This report is the first in a series of reports on teaching and learning in Foundation-supported schools. This report takes a careful look at instruction and students' academic work. In a subset of reforming schools, it examines whether students are exposed to challenging learning opportunities and whether challenging learning opportunities open…