We describe some of Merl's more subtle contributions that extended beyond his own prodigious scholarly record, his high-quality teaching, and his mentoring of students. The context of our remarks on Programmatic R&D focuses on his contribution to the University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Education. Merl was the first director of…

Ways to improve the validity of assessment of college students are discussed. Validity problems often have occurred because the purpose of assessment was not clear. Traditionally, college students have been tested for admission and placement. However, the results of these tests have been used for other purposes, such as comparing institutions.…

Policymakers are fond of saying that we have enough research knowledge; however, one problem is that nobody is applying the knowledge we already have. This paper offers a discussion of the kinds of knowledge needed to improve students learning, what to do about this in the assessment and testing arena, and where assessment falls short. Types of…

Many schools are moving to develop benchmark tests to monitor their students' progress toward state standards throughout the academic year. Benchmark tests can provide the ongoing information that schools need to guide instructional programs and to address student learning problems. The authors discuss six criteria that educators can use to…

This paper examines multiple measures of performance in school accountability systems from two perspectives: laterally (different indicators of different domains) and vertically (indicators that are at different levels of depth of the same domain). From these perspectives, organizational responsibility and instructional sensitivity are examined.…

Attempts to understand educational quality have created an ever-increasing set of measures and approaches. Issues regarding assessment of student learning, teacher effectiveness, and school effectiveness are discussed. (MT)

The inability of students to become proficient in algebra seems to be widespread in American schools. One of the reasons often cited for this inability is that instruction seldom builds on prior knowledge. Research suggests that teacher effectiveness is the most critical controllable variable in improving student achievement. This report details a…

This document presents standards for educational accountability systems that represent models of practice derived from three perspectives: research knowledge, practical experience, and ethical considerations. These standards should be conceived of as targets for state and local systems and as criteria to judge proposed models of accountability…

A critical first step in developing training systems is gathering quality information about a trainee's competency in a skill or knowledge domain. Such information includes an estimate of what the trainee knows prior to training, how much has been learned from training, how well the trainee may perform in future task situations, and whether to…

Discusses some of the challenges of technology-based training and education, the role of quality verification and evaluation, and strategies to integrate evaluation into the everyday design of technology-based systems for education and training. (SLD)

The Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) attempts to advance the understanding of educational quality by research and development on the design, implementation, analysis, and use of assessment information. CRESST's research programs are directed at five major goals: (1) provide leadership to improve assessment…

Three pilot studies--effects of writing prompt modality on writing performance; effect of topic familiarity; and effect of topic, sample and rater group membership on the stability of scoring criteria application--are used to identify the variability in student writing performance. A writing competency test aims to assess writing-specific skills…

Following up on an earlier issue of "The Curriculum Journal" (Vol. 16, No. 1), this article focuses on learning outcomes in the context of video games. Learning outcomes are viewed from two theoretical frameworks: Kirkpatrick's levels of evaluation and the CRESST model of learning. These are used to analyse the outcomes claimed in journal articles…

With regard to testing, technology has already played significant roles in the form of scoring technology, analytical practices, and development strategies. Two common functions of technology and testing are currently at work. First is the use of technology to meet existing goals more efficiently, and second is the use of technology to expand the…

This document summarizes the activities conducted under the National Institute of Education (NIE) planning grant for the new Center on Student Testing, Evaluation, and Standards and the conceptualizations that emerged from these activities. Chapter 1 presents a summary of the planning activities actually conducted under the award, including…