A significant event for the advancement of economic education in the schools is the development of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in economics. For the first time, national data from a representative sample of students are available to measure the achievement of high school students in economics. The achievement results are…

The essay test has great potential to assess the higher levels of student understanding of economics. The problem is that most instructors fail to exploit the significant advantage of this testing method and to avoid its pitfalls. The author highlights the advantages and pitfalls to essay testing in economics and gives instructors many practical…

After presenting a rationale for the interest in economic attitudes and opinions, this article clarifies distinctions among attitudes, opinions, beliefs, and values and then discusses the measurement of these affective constructs and classroom applications. (CB)

Reports a study designed to measure the effectiveness of teaching and learning major economic concepts and concept clusters in high school. Includes findings on student attitudes toward the subject of economics and toward economic issues. (BSR)

It is reasonable to be concerned about ideological bias in economics textbooks because of political pressures in the United States to present a positive evaluation of free enterprise. However, an examination of texts does not show the bias that Bruce Romanish claims to have found. (IS)

Reports the results of a study that evaluated the impact of the Developmental Economic Education Project (DEEP) and the International Paper Company (IPCF) awards program for teaching economics on high school student cognitive and affective outcomes. A description of the theoretical model used for the analysis is included. (AM)

Argues there is limited research data about student knowledge of economic concepts at the secondary school education level. Describes the development, validation, and national norming of the revised Test of Economic Literacy (TEL) and presents findings from the 1986 pretest analysis of the revised TEL. (BSR)

This study analyzed factors that contribute to economics learning and attitudes toward economics among high school students taking an economics course. Results indicate a number of teacher, student, course, and school variables that affect economics learning and attitude formation. Textbooks appear to have a significant effect. (Author/IAH)

Evaluates the effectiveness of the Developmental Economic Education Project (DEEP) of the Joint Council of Economic Education and the awards program of the International Paper Company Foundation (IPCF). DEEP schools had a positive effect on students. The results of the IPCF program are less encouraging. (RM)

The Test of Understanding of College Economics, the Test of Economic Literacy for senior high students, and the Basic Economics Test for students in grades 4-6 provide reasonably good measures of economic understanding. The tests' technical features--reliability, validity, norms, and item statistics--are critiqued. (RM)

Results from the testing of a representative sample of U.S. high school students (N=8,205) reveals a significant lack of economic literacy, with the students correctly answering only 40 percent of the items on the Test of Economic Literacy. This is especially disturbing since the questions were drawn from economic concepts and related issues as…

In Australia, the authors learned it is common to ask one or more conference participants to summarize and assess the conference in a final "closing" session. They found the experience of serving as "closers" strangely similar to what students are asked to do in providing an overall assessment of a course or instructor at the…

The study measured the effectiveness of the film series "Trade-offs" in improving elementary school student economic understanding, cost-benefits of having a teacher trained for "Trade-offs," and models for measuring the relationship between economic achievement and attitude. Results indicate positive impact of the film series, particularly when…

This paper analyzes the economic knowledge of high school students based on national data from 8,000 students who took the revised "Test of Economic Literacy," a nationally normed and standardized achievement test in economics. First, the validity and reliability features of the test are presented and then the test scores are broken down…

Critiques Thurow's paper on the evaluation of economic performance (see SO516719). Concludes that the Joint Council's "Framework" offers a solid foundation for teaching about economic performance if the Joint Council can persuade high school economics teachers to use it. (JDH)