Defines assessment as finding out where the problems are in a program for the purpose of eliminating them. Presents a method for developing a formal assessment plan in history including principles of assessment, program goals, and objectives. Suggests determining what is already done and what further assessment methods are desired. (DK)

A study of 521 teacher education students taking the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) revealed that students with American College Testing Program (ACT) composite scores of 21 or higher had a high probability of passing all 3 parts of the PPST at the first attempt at a cutoff score of 169. A state testing exemption for such students resulted.…

Calculators are transforming mathematics instruction, freeing it from an arithmetic-driven curriculum. They have encouraged teachers to think more carefully about what is important to learn. Calculators should be used at all levels of instruction and on tests, including standardized exams. Meaningful educational reform depends on such a change.…

A study assessed the feasibility of sequential testing of medical students using standardized patients. Sequential testing passes students who score well on the first segment of the test thus eliminating additional student-standardized patient encounters. Subjects were six classes of Southern Illinois University students (n=404). Results strongly…

One of a series of educational packages designed for implementation either in a workshop atmosphere or through individual study, this Hot Topic guide presents a variety of materials designed to assist educators in designing and implementing classroom projects and activities centering on the topic of standardized and alternative assessment. The Hot…

The guide provides information on 28 public foreign language examinations offered by 14 organizations in the United Kingdom. The information is intended for use in selecting examinations for certifying language skills for employment purposes. Each listing notes the language exams offered, the aims of the test, levels of difficulty, intended age…

This report presents the evaluation findings for the 1982 Austin Independent School District's State Compensatory Education Summer School Program. It contains a description of the program, information about the data collection procedures employed in the evaluation, and a discussion of the student outcomes achieved by the program. Achievement…

This guide to Alberta's French 30 standardized test describes the testing program and administration, the test parts, and test scoring for both teachers and students anticipating taking the test. Dates and times of test administration and scoring dates in 1990 are charted. The two parts of the test are described in some detail, including their…

This handbook is designed to help Utah educators implement student assessment procedures that are in harmony with the State graduation requirements of 1984, which identify implementation and assessment of student achievement as the responsibilities of local boards of education. The State graduation requirements and programs of study allow…

Identifying effective and ineffective schools is a dominant issue in education in light of the increasing concern for achievement and accountability. Educators involved in school improvement projects face the dilemma of choosing from a variety of methods for measuring school effectiveness. The primary purpose of this paper is to describe for…

Research on the lack of correlation between standardized tests and school district goals has suggested that district goals might be better met by supplementing standardized tests with district-made criterion-referenced testing systems. This article reports on the development of such a system, the Academic Learning Progress Assessment System…

The purpose of the bulletin is to provide information to teachers and students about the Social Studies 30 Diploma Examination for 1987. The information includes: (1) a description of the examination; 70 multiple-choice questions worth 70% of the total score and one essay worth 30%; (2) an outline of the objectives to be tested including…

Recommends that standardized achievement tests for first to ninth graders be limited to three uses: home reports, monitoring of longitudinal performance trends in the basic skill areas, and annual monitoring for unusually low score comparisons. Recommendations deliberately exclude early childhood and high school testing and testing for individual…

Provides information on the American Chemical Society's (ACS) 1986 testing program, listing currently available tests (includes five new tests). Also provides condensed norms for ACS examinations, including high school chemistry forms 1985 and 1985-S, general-organic-biological chemistry form 1985, general chemistry (brief version) form 1985-B,…

The increasing use of test results as a mechanism of educational reform is diminishing local control of schools and changing the curriculum to train students to pass tests rather than to educate students. (MLF)