In order to determine the range and extent of adult reading in the United States, a Reading Activities Survey was conducted on interviews with 5,073 adults randomly chosen from 200 locations around the country. The survey was part of an effort to develop a test of adult literacy based on practical reading situations in which adults might find…

Fourteen criteria used to evaluate criterion referenced tests were assigned two sets of weights reflecting the characteristics of tests designed as a classroom resource or for program evaluation. Twenty eight currently available criterion referenced tests were rated against the criteria using each set of weights. A comparison of the scores…

This report represents the results of an investigation of the appropriateness of criterion-referenced tests (CRTS) for large-scale evaluations. First, the development and validation of CRTS, including the formulation and generation of CRT objectives, items, and score-interpretation schemes and dimensions of item and test quality, were examined to…

This study was designed to develop and standardize parallel forms of a criterion-referenced test for measuring the proficiency of undergraduate college students in the application of syllabication skills. Twenty-seven classes in 14 colleges and universities participated in the final standardization of the tests. Analysis of results indicated that…

This study, carried out in 1975-1976 and reported in this document, focused on the following aims: to identify specific tasks and competencies associated with basic literacy and numeration skills which children in Australia need to master; to prepare appropriate performance (criterion-referenced) tests to measure levels of competence of 10- and…

This study, carried out in 1975-1976 and reported in this document, focused on the following aims: to identify specific tasks and competencies associated with basic literacy and numeration skills which children in Australia need to master; to prepare appropriate performance (criterion-referenced) tests to measure levels of competence in the basic…

The major problem of this study was the development of an instrument, the Planetarium Test on Annual Motion (PTAM), that would use an observational format in the planetarium as a reasonable substitute for the real sky to evaluate the attainment of instructional objectives related to selected concepts on the annual motions of the sun, moon, and…

Sample multiple-choice questions are examined for testing for three levels of knowledge in general biology: background or factual, operational, and analytic-synthetic. (ND)

Results of a study investigating the accuracy of absolute minimal performance levels for multiple choice examinations enhanced confidence in the validity of predetermined passing standards for the criterion referenced tests used by the schools of basic medical sciences at the University of Illinois. (JT)

Investigates the effectiveness of different elements of diagnosis and prescription incorporated into help sessions for college science students. Results show that following laboratory classes with help sessions that are based on the results of diagnostic tests can alter achievement significantly, whether help sessions are directed by teacher or…

Norm-referenced tests are inappropriate for evaluating health care practitioners; criterion referenced tests better describe what is not being measured. Reliable assessment of competency should focus on the valid testing of reasonable numbers of important skills. Available from: Sage Publications, Inc., 275 South Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills,…

The decline in scholastic aptitude test ( SAT) scores does not signify that the quality of education is lower. To interpret this decline requires an understanding of the testing process, changing racial and sex mix of the test makers, changing lifestyle of youth, and the increase in the number of students taking the SAT. (Author/AM)

Barrett, Maier, Ekstrand, and Pellegrino in 1975 reported relatively large drops in performance from the criterion trial to an immediate retention test using a study-test free-recall paradigm. The present experiment was designed to determine whether this criterion fall was associated with the use of a retrieval strategy involving short-term…

The author describes the structure, content, and standardization of the Stanford Mental Arithmetic Test (SMAT), which was developed at Stanford University from 1973 to 1975. (MN)

A criterion-referenced measuring instrument was developed from a national survey of quantitative skills/concepts required by entering first grade students and individually administered to 273 children three to six and one-half years of age. By comparing mastery age of each of the 153 skills/concepts, sequential patterns of development were made…