A study explored the nature and quality of teacher-developed assessment instruments. Teachers (n=228) from a range of grades, subjects, and school districts described patterns of test use, concerns about assessment, and use of performance assessment by completing an extensive questionnaire. The research was conducted to determine: (1) teachers'…

Designed for parents of kindergarten and elementary school children in Austin, Texas, this brochure explains the structure and function of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. A question and answer format is used to provide information on the scope and purposes of the tests, grade level differences in testing, meaning and accuracy of the scores, and…

A 2-year project investigated the ability of secondary school teachers to identify the top 10 percent of students in each of four subjects, English, French, physics, and mathematics. The students were tested on a wide range of aptitudes and attitudes at the beginning of their third form (ninth grade). Teachers were asked to list students they…

The costs and benefits of Year Round Education (YRE), a system in which students have short, staggered vacation periods, so that only a subgroup of students are attending school at any one time, were explored by the Provo (Utah) City School District. In an effort to accommodate a growing number of students without building additional classrooms,…

The instructional effectiveness of commercially prepared test preparation materials was studied using Riverside Publishing Company's "Improving Test-Taking Skills" materials. The study further investigated differential effects of test-taking instruction as a result of student characteristics. In the first year of the study (1986-87),…

A formative evaluation of curricular effectiveness of the General Education (GE) Program at the University of Montevallo, an Alabama state-supported liberal arts institution, is described. The GE Program is divided into 11 core areas. The American College Testing Program's College Outcomes Measures Program (COMP) objective test--a test of general…

The Minimum Performance Test (MPT), Metropolitan Achievement Test, Sixth Edition (MAT6), and the new standards required by the 1983 Quality Education Act and their impact on teachers in Arkansas were assessed. A sample of 103 elementary school teachers from 39 school districts indicated that the tests and standards generally met with favorable…

Recent research shows that the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) systematically underestimates girls' ability to succeed in college, and suggests that this is because of a subtle pervasive bias in the construction of this and most other standardized tests. This issue brief reviews the research on gender bias in college admissions testing and the…

The Center for Remediation Design and Brandeis University (Massachusetts) conducted a series of telephone interviews to develop a manual of assessment for Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) youth programs. These interviews were conducted with youth planners in each service delivery area during August 1987. The goal of this project was to explore…

Standardized achievement and aptitude tests may be of very limited value in making placement or instructional decisions about bilingual students. The practice of categorizing standardized test scores by ethnic groups obscures the difficulties of administering and interpreting tests taken by bilinguals. Individuals who are bilingual have two…

Fiscal constraints have limited education budgets in developing countries. Increases necessary to expand access to highly subsidized and publicly provided education have not been forthcoming. Another concern is that education is being inadequately and inefficiently provided by the public sector. This study is an inquiry into the nature of the…

This report presents the findings of a California study on the demographic and educational characteristics and pre-enrollment language skills of over 265,000 newly legalized persons beginning legalization education programs. Data summarized about this population include immigration history, nationality, language background, age, distribution of…

The role of testing in American education is becoming increasingly important in grouping students for educational purposes. This article reviews practices adopted by educators or administrators to improve student test scores. Stopgap measures for improving standardized test scores include (1) switching to easier tests; (2) eliminating certain…

Following publication of "A Nation at Risk," several states passed legislation increasing high school graduation and college entrance requirements. This study was conducted to determine whether there is a relationship between the number of courses a student takes in a subject-matter area and the student's score on the corresponding…

The Bringing Out Head Start Talents (BOHST) project modified existing materials and procedures from the Retrieval and Acceleration of Promising Young Handicapped and Talented (RAPYHT) model in order to train Head Start personnel, parents, and volunteers to identify and program for Head Start children who are functionally or potentially…