It was the author's purpose in this short discussion to suggest that testing and grading should help the student learn better without excessive pressure of time or competition. (Author)

The author assesses the contributions to educational planning of the National Assessment of Education Progress. He gives examples of the findings and asks questions as to how they can be utilized by school systems. (Editor) Aspect of National Assessment (NAEP) dealt with in this document: Results (Utilization).

Binomial models for domain-referenced testing are compared, emphasizing the assumptions underlying the beta-binomial model. Advantages and disadvantages are discussed. A proposed item sampling model is presented which takes the effect of guessing into account. (Author/CM)

Criterion-referenced tests in a time-series design were found to be the most feasible methodology for evaluating placement in an early intervention program for mildly retarded, learning disabled, and emotionally disturbed children. Advantages included provision of longitudinal data, while the major disadvantage was administration time. (CL)

Presents predictions made by past presidents of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) on the future of educational research, includinq the emergence of new research methods; improvement of existing measures; changes within AERA; developments in school populations, testing, and funding; new conceptions of intelligence and aptitude;…

Two instructional methods, reception and discovery, together with a control condition, were compared in terms of their effects on the performances of kindergarten children (n=72) on probability tasks. Evidence for the superiority of discovery learning was not forthcoming. (Author/PN)

Compares the effects of a performance-based instructional approach and the traditional lecture-discussion method on initial achievement and retention of students in a secondary level electricity/electronics course. Neither method appears to be significantly better in terms of student performance or attitude. (SK)

Describes an attempt to construct an ESL dictation test that would: (1) be appropriate for a wide range of ability, (2) be easy and fast to score, (3) consist of set items that would form both a unidimensional and cumulative scale, and (4) yield scores that would be directly interpretable with respect to specified levels of English proficiency.…

Describes two types of criterion-referenced testing that districts can use to measure achievement outcomes of their instructional programs: a random sampling assessment plan and an item-response theory assessment plan. (Author/JM)

The 10 criticisms of criterion-referenced tests addressed in this paper are: the domains tested; pedagogical influence; difficulty of items; cumbersome reports; reliability; arbitrary criteria; local objectives; labeling; predictive validity; and repeated testing. (SJL)

The paper considers the problem of selecting the t best of k normal populations and simultaneously determining whether the selected populations have a mean larger than a known standard. Illustrations are given for selecting the t best of k examinees when the binomial error model applies. (Author)

The fundamental Reading Competencies Test assesses proficiency with respect to well-defined functional reading skills of high school students. Validity and reliability data for the test are presented. (Author/JKS)

A dozen different approaches that yield 13 reliability indices for criterion-referenced tests were identified and grouped into three categories: threshold loss function, squared-error loss function, and domain score estimation. Indices were evaluated within each category. (Author/RL)

The article focuses on the controversy over norm-referenced v criterion-referenced measures (CRM) in assessment of learning disorders. The authors contend that while the reliability of CRMs is generally indisputable, the validity of measures designed from local curricula is still dependent on the intuitive judgments of teachers. (Author/SBH)

Discusses the construction and use of criterion-referenced student feedback instruments which make specific reference to course objectives and allow the instructor to determine student perceptions on how well these objectives are achieved. (RAO)