The extent to which the classroom evaluation practice of secondary school teachers is of a formative nature and the effects of any formative evaluation on student learning were studied through semi-structured interviews with 54 teachers in 5 Dutch secondary schools. All taught secondary Dutch or mathematics. In addition, 557 students completed…

This article presents the perspective that the quality of teacher-made, small classroom tests has not improved, and may have declined in recent years. This decline may be due to the fact that teachers have come to believe that the kinds of objective items used in national standardized tests are the only item types appropriate for classroom use.…

After reviewing varous methods to evaluate college student learning, it is proposed that U.S. faculty at neighboring colleges could collaborate to construct tests, much like the external examinations used in the United Kingdom, to assess student learning and the quality of education more consistently. In the long term, this method would also…

A paradigm for the recalibration of teacher-made assessment that assesses and evaluates in one operation is formulated. The effort to make the classroom the primary source of educational research activity is contingent on redefining educational research as empirical and not experimental. This emphasizes that the empirical analysis of instructional…

Benchmarks are designed to demystify educational goals and illuminate the nature of good performance for teachers, students, and parents. Since 1987, the Toronto Board of Education has developed over 100 language and mathematics benchmarks at grades 3, 6, and 8, combining observation with holistic evaluation. Instruction, learning, and evaluation…

This paper examines several issues and challenges associated with performance-based assessment in science through experiences with two large-scale student assessment projects. The first is the Common Core of Learning (CCL) Science Assessment Project designed to explore the use of classroom-embedded performance assessment for the evaluation of…

A discussion of second language testing focuses on the need for collaboration among researchers in second language learning, teaching, and testing concerning development of context-appropriate language tests. It is argued that the nature of the proficiency construct in language is not constant, but that different linguistic, functional, and…

A total of 326 public school teachers of kindergarten through grade 12 responded to a survey about teacher-made tests, testing practices, and the availability of testing resources and guidelines. Testing practices and preferences were found to vary significantly by grade level, subject area, and length of teaching experience. School testing…

Sketches some of the dilemmas in language assessment and presents exemplary practical approaches to assessment in the language arts areas of listening, oral language, reading, and writing. (SD)

The effects of performance assessments on student learning were examined in a year-long project to help teachers in 13 third-grade classrooms begin to use performance assessments as part of regular instruction in reading and mathematics. The essential research question was whether students learned more or developed qualitatively different…

Classroom-based measures, including self-developed tests and tests provided with instructional materials, aid teachers far more than standardized tests. Yet administrators, researchers, and teacher educators emphasize the latter to the detriment of education. New research and training emphases, greater public awareness, and a resultant…

The teacher assessment that is the subject of this paper is an essentially informal activity. The teacher assesses the student by posing questions, observing activities, and evaluating work in a planned or ad hoc way. The information obtained may be partial or fragmented, but repeating such assessments over time will allow the buildup of a solid…

This paper presents a summary of findings from a review of approximately 225 studies of K-12 classroom teachers' attitudes toward and other educators' attitudes and support of teacher-made tests and testing practices. The findings from the review indicate classroom teachers have a positive attitude toward teacher-made tests and regard these tests…

Given the restructuring of curriculum and instruction and the changing state of assessment in Virginia and nationally, a study group of 22 Virginia teachers from elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools throughout the state chose to examine and revise their assessment practices. They wanted to reflect changes in thinking and practice…

Court ordered desegregation introduces significant requirements for school districts' testing programs. The Remedial Order in effect in Cleveland, Ohio (Reed vs. Rhodes) cautions defendants that "they must insure that all tests, whether standardized, criterion-referenced, or teacher-made are developed, administered, and scored in a…