The developing discourse which moves assessment away from a measurement model towards one of learner empowerment and the development of assessment for lifelong learning sets the context for this paper. Within this framework, we explore how the demands made on practitioners may influence current reported assessment practices. The reasons given by…

This paper is an examination of statewide district writing achievement gain data from the Nebraska Statewide Writing Assessment system and implications for statewide assessment writing models. The writing assessment program is used to gain compliance with the United States No Child Left Behind Law (NCLB), a federal effort to influence school…

This article describes several creative solutions developed by calculus and modeling students to the classic optimization problem of testing in groups to find a small number of individuals who test positive in a large population.

Public schools face raised performance expectations on group-administered achievement tests. In response, educators have implemented various preparation strategies to ready students. However, the research community largely ignores the impact of setting on test performance. This randomized field trial assesses whether or not there were significant…

Clump, Bauer, and Bradley (2004) and Burchfield and Sappington (2000) previously found extremely low levels of reading in undergraduate psychology courses. The current study investigated whether these low levels of reading are also found with graduate students, or if this value is altered by only investigating individuals who show continued…

G. Burket's criticisms regarding calculation and interpretation of group scores on norm-referenced tests are discussed. Burket and Baglin seem to agree on the existence of a problem in the calculation and interpretation of group scores on norm-referenced tests but disagree on the issue of that problem's causes and solutions. (TJH)

Repeating validation procedures used for the Children's Group Embedded Figures Test Level II (ages 9-11), this Level I test of cognitive style was administered to a second grade sample. It proved reliable and significantly related to the individual Children's Embedded Figures Test and the Portable Rod-and-Frame Test. (Author/SJL)

To determine the optimal uses of educational hypermedia for older adult learners, it is prudent to conduct research focusing on this particular participant group. However, the value of research findings, especially in cross-sectional studies, may depend on attentiveness towards the specific needs of older adults. Ignoring these needs may lead to…

This invited special issue of "Early Education and Development" presents research related to the Early Development Instrument (EDI; Janus & Offord, 2007), a community tool to assess children's school readiness at a population level. In this editorial introduction, we first sketch out recent trends in school readiness research that call for a…

This article is a commentary for the special issue on the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a community tool to assess children's school readiness and developmental outcomes at a group level. The EDI is administered by kindergarten teachers, who assess their kindergarten students on 5 developmental domains: physical health and well-being, social…

Criticizes attempts by states to institute statewide testing programs as a means of improving school accountability. Discusses various examples of how this is being carried out. Presents four recommendations for testing programs. (HB)

This study explored the impact of individual versus two-person group testing on graduate students' achievement and motivation to learn while enrolled in a 16-lesson educational research methods course. Students in two sections of the course were exposed to the same content and instructional methods, with one exception: students in one section took…

Describes procedures for participatory examinations, a method for achieving student collaboration in marketing education. Suggests that the method teaches students group process, persuasion, teamwork, and other skills needed in the contemporary workplace. (SK)

The two models for group exams described here employ these exams as both a formative strategy for assessing student understanding of key course material and preparing students for further class activities and a summative strategy for evaluating student learning and assigning grades.

Current educational policies require the participation of students with disabilities in state assessments. Their participation has raised a number of issues, among them the need for accommodations. In this article we consider the role that assistive technology (AT) can play to alleviate current accommodations demands, and highlight research and…