While assessment has been a part of education for a long time, the current increased emphasis on standardization of curriculum and assessment is unique. The author surveys varying perspectives on assessment, considers the role assessment plays vis-à-vis social studies and then evaluates arguments on both sides of the debate in light of the current…

The validity of the Canadian Tests of Basic Skills is examined from the perspective that several of its subtests are highly speeded. Results show that there is very little relationship between the number of items attempted and the number correct and suggest that guessing is involved when more items are attempted. (Author/JAZ)

Three papers represent an interchange on the article in this issue by D. Meaghan and F. Casas on standardized achievement testing. The first paper calls the article unbalanced. The second paper says it is based on truth but too negative. The third paper is a response from Meaghan and Casas. (SM)

Compares immersion and non-immersion students' results on provincial Grade 3 tests in Ottawa in 1998-99. Explores the results by immersion type--according to the grade at which English literacy instruction is introduced, and the proportion of instructional time in English. Results corroborate those of large-scale evaluation studies of French…

The Cooperative Primary Tests were administered to 4,966 pupils in grade 2 of Vancouver schools in 1972 and results were compared with those of students in grade 2 in 1969. The battery included six tests. Scores on the first, a practice test, were not recorded. The listening, word analysis, and reading tests were used for this survey. Use of the…

Examines children's and adults' knowledge of the ozone layer and its depletion, whether this knowledge increases with age, and how the ozone layer and ozone hole might be structured as scientific concepts. Uses a standardized set of questions to interview children and adults in Canada. Discusses implications of the results for health…

Argues that reliance on the outcome of quantitative standardized tests to assess student performance is misplaced quest for certainty in an uncertain world. Reviews and lauds Canadian teacher-devised qualitative diagnostic tool, "Profiles of Student Behaviors," composed of 20 behavioral patterns in student knowledge, attitude, and skill.…

As a result of inter- and intranational migrations, urban schools in early 21st-century Western nations serve more ethnoculturally diverse populations than ever before. The impact of global events resonates in these schools at the local community level. In this article I argue for the administrative fusion of local and global perspectives, a…

The booklet presents the two-part Grade 12 Diploma Examination for the Social Studies 30 program. Part 1 consists of 70 multiple-choice questions worth 70% of the total score. Each question has four choices and students must choose the one which best completes the statement or answers the question. Many questions are based on narratives,…

This study investigated the possible impacts of language and curriculum differences on the performance of test items by subpopulations of students. Focusing on Measurement and Geometry items completed by students in French- and English-language schools in Ontario made it possible to explore the differences and to compare the item response theory…

Teachers typically receive the brunt of the criticism for poor performance on large-scale standardized tests. In order to stave off this criticism, some teachers have begun to provide instruction that utilizes actual or cloned items from these high-stakes tests. Such teaching to the test rarely helps learning and has a detrimental effect on the…

Designed to assess the success of social studies instruction for grade 8 students in Manitoba, Canada, this test evaluation instrument contains the manual, scoring key, and the administered test. The test covers the following sections: attitudes and values, social participation, knowledge, thinking and reasoning skills, and a long answer section…

Changes in assessment policy have resulted in a proliferation of testing in Canadian schools. Advocates claim that more testing will result in greater accountability, but this book states that there is little evidence to support standardized testing from a pedagogical perspective. It examines the effects of standardized testing on educational…

A study of Florida's "school accountability" reform examined Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) scores in Orange County. It was found that percentages of low-income, gifted, and Black students in a school population could predict the FCAT score with 80-86 percent accuracy. The testing process creates a self-fulfilling prophecy.…

Canadian parents and educators are targeted with a campaign designed to convince them that lack of adequate testing represents a major barrier to educational reform. The paper examines the dangers and adverse effects of standardized testing, reviewing recent attempts to alert educators and policymakers to the deficiencies of standardized testing.…