The commentary (1) uses the U. S. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) as a prototype for examining standardized reading achievement tests at the item level, and (2) sketches an alternative based on an initiative underway in the United Kingdom.

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has expended considerable effort to ensure high quality in data collection by developing standardized materials and survey operation procedures and using well-trained professional administrators. However, schools are allowed to minimize the disruption associated with pulling students out of…

Recently, different methodological approaches have been discussed as an explanation for inconsistencies in studies investigating sex differences in different intelligences. The present study investigates sex differences in manifest sum scores, factor score estimates, and latent verbal, numerical, figural intelligence, as well as fluid and…

Purpose is an internal compass that integrates engagement in activities that affect others, self-awareness of one's reasons, and the intention to continue these activities. We argue that purpose represents giftedness in intrapersonal intelligence, which processes information related to self, identity, self-regulation, and one's place in the world.…

Many have claimed that teachers' verbal ability is among the most important predictors of school outcomes. Teachers' verbal ability has been thought to predict student achievement ever since the relationship was found in the classic "Equality of Educational Opportunity" (EEO) study by Coleman et al. By way of meta-analysis the authors examine the…

To many, it seems obvious which schools are failing--schools whose students perform poorly on achievement tests. But since evaluating schools on achievement mixes the effects of school and nonschool influences, achievement-based evaluation likely underestimates the effectiveness of schools that serve disadvantaged populations. In this article, the…

The authors examined circumplex models of interest structure across time (Grades 8, 10, and 12), gender, and analytic method in a secondary analysis of vocational interest type (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional) data generated from the American College Testing database (national sample of 69,987 students).…

This report documents the Massachusetts Statewide Assessment of Basic Skills in speaking and listening that was conducted during the 1979-80 school year. The four chapters of the report provide information about (1) the survey design and methodology, (2) the performance of twelfth grade students in listening, (3) the results of two measures of…

The 1994 U.S. History Framework encourages students to learn about ideas and people and to understand how the present world is the result of choices and convictions of people, and the focus of the assessment is to see what diverse U.S. students in grades 4, 8, and 12 understand about U.S. history. The framework proposes that students studying U.S.…

A new standard setting method, Mapmark, was recently developed by ACT Inc. in the course of a contract with the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) to set achievement levels for the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Grade 12 mathematics. Mapmark includes elements of the bookmark method (Lewis, Mitzel, & Green, 1996;…

To determine the effectiveness of the Appalachian Maryland Experience-Based Career Education (EBCE) Project in meeting its aims and objectives, a third-party evaluation was conducted for 1977-78. Forty students in grade 12 participated in the project, spending four days a week at selected career sites and a day at the EBCE Learning Center…

Gender differences in participation and performance at "high stakes" examinations have received much public attention, which has often focused on mathematics and science subjects. This paper describes the innovative forms of assessment introduced into mathematics and science subjects within the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)…

The National Academy of Education Panel is providing the intellectual leadership and coordination for an independent evaluation of the 1990 and 1992 Trial State Assessments (TSA) of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). These instruments provide state-by-state comparisons of educational achievement, which is the first such use of…