Examines the increase in popularity of objective testing in the United Kingdom and addresses some of the accompanying academic issues. Reports on a case study of test production and implementation to illustrate issues of time costs and benefits. Discusses question styles, marking schemes, and the problem of guesswork. (MJP)

Investigates the validity and reliability of performance assessments using data from over 300 fifth and sixth graders. Results demonstrate the gap between the reality of measurement through performance assessments and the political rhetoric that would institute these assessments in a national examination system in the immediate future. (SLD)

A study investigated general and vocational skills of 32 British business undergraduates before and after their field experiences, as perceived by the students and their employers. Although the parties agree that some skill development occurred during field experience, substantial discrepancies between student and employer perceptions of actual…

Discusses the movement toward authentic assessment, also called direct or performance assessment, as an alternative to multiple-choice, standardized, norm-referenced testing. Authentic testing involves assessment tasks that are real instances of extended criterion performances rather than proxies of actual learning goals. Questions use of…

A method of student evaluation of preclerkship clinical medical teaching used at the University of Toronto (Canada) is described. The method has a high response rate, yields data on individual teacher effectiveness and course content coverage, is stable over time, and has been well received by students and faculty. (MSE)

This article describes the Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills-Revised, a criterion-and norm-referenced test designed to measure developmental and academic skills of students ages 5 through 13, including writing skills, reading skills, reading comprehension, mathematics skills, and listening comprehension. Its purpose, administration,…

This article describes the Conners Rating Scales-Revised, a rating scale designed to identify Canadian and American students ages 3 to 17 years with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The test contains a Teacher Feedback Form, a Parent Feedback Form, and Adolescent Feedback Forms. Its administration, reliability, and validity are discussed.…

The authors review 11 studies published from 1971 through the 1990s on learning and behavioral difficulties among Chinese American children. The focus of the review is on (a) quantity and quality of the studies, (b) topics examined, and (c) research findings. Results showed that limited English proficiency, delinquency and gangs, and emotional and…

Early success in reading is predicated on a child's ability to accurately and effectively master core literacy constructs (e.g., phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, concept of word, and grapheme-phoneme correspondence) and to exercise these understandings in a comfortable sociocultural context. In recent years, educators, legislators, and…

The purpose of this paper is to discuss Florida teachers' recommendations for improving the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and to compare their recommendations with those of Florida administrators. Although teachers' suggestions varied as to the types and extent of remedies needed to improve the FCAT, some common themes emerged. The…

Computer-based testing (CBT) is typically implemented using one of three general test delivery models: (1) multiple fixed testing (MFT); (2) computer-adaptive testing (CAT); or (3) multistage testing (MSTs). This article reviews some of the real cost drivers associated with CBT implementation--focusing on item production costs, the costs…

This article's goals are to validate the Computer and Information Technology Attitude Inventory (Weinsier and Leutner, 1988), a nontraditional approach to attitude measurement; and to report on a study designed to search for intercultural differences or cross-cultural consistency of attitudes toward computers and information technology. (46…

This article describes the Learning Accomplishment Profile-Diagnostic Standardized Assessment, a standardized norm-referenced developmental assessment tool for children between the ages of 30 to 72 months. The test assesses fine motor skills, language skills, cognitive ability, and gross motor development. Its administration, standardization,…

This article describes the Test of Early Reading Ability-2, an assessment that measures the ability of children ages 3 through 9 to attribute meaning to printed symbols, knowledge of the alphabet and its functions, and understanding of the conventions of print. Its administration, standardization, reliability, and validity are discussed. (Contains…

The development and validation of an instrument designated as the Classroom and School Community Inventory (CSCI) are described. Scores on both the classroom form and the school form of the CSCI possess strong content validity, construct validity, internal consistencies, and 2-week test-retest reliability. Using a sample of 341 traditional and…