This report provides suggestions on how to implement an integrated assessment model to assess comprehensive student projects to ensure that school districts meet the Common Curriculum Goals of the public elementary and secondary schools in Oregon. As a supplement to existing standardized testing programs, the integrated model may be especially…

In 1979, the state of Massachusetts identified 11 listening and 14 speaking skills as part of a basic skills program in elementary/secondary schools. The authors were asked to recommend methods of assessing these skills. The article summarizes their decision process and includes the recommendations. (PD)

Reports on the development of an assessment instrument to test basic communication skills necessary for students' success in college. Covers the instrument's conceptual foundation, administration procedures, development, and analysis. (PD)

Second-language teachers are encouraged to develop two forms of reading, silent and oral, in classroom instruction. The relationship between the two is discussed, and aspects of oral communication that teachers can explore (voice, multiplicity of voices, movement and gesture, use of props, and spatial use) are examined. (MSE)

The requirements for English language skills at the British Key Stage 2 curriculum level rise so steeply that it seems possible that many African Caribbean students may not be able to demonstrate their true competence. A rigid move toward standard English can be detrimental to minority group students. (SLD)

The development of the oral component of the Test in English for Educational Purposes (TEEP) for foreign students in British universities was undertaken using information from previous oral test development efforts and a survey of 645 university admissions officers concerning students' communication skill needs. The resulting test is intended to…

Discusses various types of job skills: necessary (writing, speaking, listening), traditional (interpersonal, phone usage, records management, keyboard, office management), and new skills (computer literacy, ability to conceptualize mentally), and the corresponding curricular needs. The college's role in this process is presented also. (CT)

This document is an outline of a conference presentation on developing and implementing authentic oral assessment instruments. Among the topics covered are the following: alternative, authentic, direct, descriptive, portfolio, and performance assessments. A detailed comparison and contrasting is undertaken of alternative and performance…

Discusses why and how language laboratories are used in Japan to develop aural perception and comprehension and oral production in English. Presents some practical suggestions for the preparation of relevant teaching materials. (PMJ)

Mills College Children's School uses math journals, conferences, and a "congress" to promote mathematical reflections and problem solving among primary students. The program enhances the ability to explain math problem strategies and solutions orally and the ability to record solution methods and answers and use records for later…

This study reports on the development and initial testing of the Preschool Speech Intelligibility Measure (PSIM), a single-word, multiple-choice intelligibility measure. The PSIM was adapted from the Assessment of Intelligibility of Dysarthric Speech and is designed to plot changes in children's intelligibility across time. (Author)

The authors compared parent-perceived communication behaviors for formally assessed stages longitudinally for 42 infants at risk for being nonspeaking. They compared perceived communication behaviors at assessed transitions to communicative stages (intentional behavior, intentional communication, symbolic communication) and found systematic…

Results of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) battery trials in Australia are reported. The IELTS tests of productive language skills use direct assessment strategies and subjective scoring according to detailed guidelines. The receptive skills tests use indirect assessment strategies and clerical scoring procedures.…

The IDEA Oral Language Proficiency Test (IPT II), an individually-administered measure of speaking and listening proficiency in English as a Second Language designed for secondary school students, is described and discussed. The test consists of 91 items and requires 5-25 minutes to administer. Raw scores are converted to one of seven proficiency…

The Iowa Articulation Norms Project and its Nebraska replication provided normative information about speech sound acquisition of children ages two through nine. This paper discusses the influence of demographic variables, trends in ages of acquisition, the impact of acceptability criteria on outcomes, and the usefulness of plotting acquisition…