Four commercially available work evaluation systems are compared using a standardized outline: development, organization, work evaluation process, administration, scoring and norms, observation of clients, reporting utility, training in the system, technical considerations, reviewer's summary and comments, address, cost, and references. There are…

This list of audiovisual materials on educational testing and assessment has been compiled from a variety of sources; the primary source was the National Information Center for Educational Media's Index to 16mm Educational Films, 1977 edition. Although the items are annotated, no attempt was made to review or to endorse any of the materials…

The norm-referenced score scale used by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) is described. The usefulness of standardized scores is explained by a simple numerical example, and the formulas and computations are shown for calculating a mean, a standard deviation, and a deviation or z score. The need for a representative sample is…

The author reviews research on the use of standardized tests to identify bilingual handicapped children. Issues supporting and criticizing standardized measurement are considered, and the author concludes that no test approaching a reasonable level of fairness across cultural groups exists. Research on the psycholinguistic aspects of…

This article presents a model that can be used by local school districts for reanalyzing standardized test results to obtain a more valid assessment of local learning objectives can be used to identify strengths/weaknesses of existing programs as well as individual students. (EGS)

A mathematical model for predicting the size of the dental school applicant pool using the number of Dental Admission Test participants is presented. (MSE)

Redefining the federal government's role in kindergarten through grade 12 education, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is designed to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers. The act is based on four principles, the first of which is stronger accountability for results, entailing creation of…

This demonstration booklet illustrates the kinds of exercises or test questions and tasks used in the assessment of student achievement in reading and in writing by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Each student will be asked to complete the background section and the cognitive sections in one subject, and the assessment will…

This demonstration booklet illustrates the kinds of exercises or test questions and tasks used in the assessment of student achievement in reading and writing by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Each student will be asked to complete the background section and the cognitive sections for one subject, and the assessment will…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1998 Writing Assessment measured student writing performance at the 4th, 8th, and 12th grades. Scoring guides for three different writing purposes for each grade allowed scorers to objectively evaluate students' work. This issue of NAEPfacts includes an 8th-grade informative writing scoring…

This paper addresses the controversy about use of "out-of-level" testing, the practice of assessing students (usually those with disabilities) with a lower-level version of a test. The controversy pits unintended instructional consequences against "accurately" measuring performance and avoiding student frustration. Introductory…

Viewing standards from the perspective of classroom teachers, this book discusses the need to alter middle school culture to facilitate meaningful improvements in the teaching-learning environment. It emphasizes efforts by middle grades educators to make schools and classrooms places where more students work harder to do work of higher quality…

Many states have limitations on the number of times a student may retake the bar exams, but a variety of preparatory techniques can increase chances of success: hypnosis, reduction of test anxiety, better studying techniques. (Journal availability: 1155 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637, $1.00.) (MSE)

This article discusses the structure of a committee that evaluates assessments for students with visual impairments and the process by which the committee arrives at its recommendations to test developers and administrators. Concerns and preferred practices that have been revealed by the committee's two years of experience are discussed. (CR)

Compares commercial and locally developed assessment instruments in terms of assessment purposes, match between instrument and local programs, logistics, institutional acceptance, quality, and student motivation. Recommends identifying information needs, considering costs, designing a measurement plan, reviewing relevant literature, involving…