The writing assessment used in grade 10 of the Cherry Creek, (Colorado) schools is described. Over the past 3 years, the focus of the assessment has changed from an assessment heavily weighted on multiple-choice items, with minimal constructed response tasks, to an assessment based entirely on a written product. Students are provided with multiple…

The New Mexico High School Proficiency Examination (NMHSPE) assesses the extent to which New Mexico students have mastered the skills and knowledge specified on the New Mexico Basic Skills Plan. The test includes an objective portion and a writing assessment. A student passing both sections receives a diploma endorsement from the State Department…

This study is an interim follow-up to an investigation of how computer use influences the writing process used by high school students on a direct writing assessment (Wolfe and others, 1994). Whether students with less comfort and experience with word processors would receive lower scores on word-processed essays than those with more comfort and…

Designed to assess the success of social studies instruction for students in grade 10 in Manitoba, Canada, this test evaluation instrument contains a manual, a scoring key, and a test. Administered to determine whether students learned important ideas and skills in social studies instruction, the results of the testing will be used to improve…

Sex-related bias on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was studied in a sample of 1,112 students in SAT coaching classes who took the SAT. Of these, 1,028 answered an additional questionnaire (Appendix A of this report) about high school grade point average, perceived abilities, and background. Almost all of the subjects were 11th graders (97.8%),…

The chemical content knowledge of secondary science teachers is seldom measured directly in developed countries as there are practical, ethical and political problems involved that would be likely to be insuperable. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), the author assisted in some of the work involved in the second IEA Science Study (SISS), where the PNG…

Project GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a federally funded program focused on encouraging disadvantaged youth to have high expectations, stay in school, and take academically rigorous courses to prepare them for college. A GEAR UP grant in rural north-central West Virginia funds academic and support…

This practicum was designed because out of school suspensions as a disciplinary procedure were not effective in changing students' behaviors. The students felt angry and rejected by the teachers, and they did not feel part of the school culture. The practicum offered a peace curriculum designed to be used in content academic areas, small groups,…

This study was designed to gain a better understanding of interactive video instruction and its effects on individual learning in high school students in Taiwan. The study had three objectives: (1) to identify students' background information and involvement in computer assisted instruction; (2) to assess whether there is a linear relationship…

Background information is provided about the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) reading test, a test developed to meet the objectives specified by the State Board of Education in 1986. The revised test measures reading in a more interactive manner than did previous tests. The rationale of the test is presented, the revised reading…

Describes a study to diagnose grade 8 (n=185) and grade 10 (n=170) Israeli students' difficulties in causal thinking while studying biology. The two main difficulties found are (1) inability to organize events according to their correct temporal sequence and (2) inability to identify an event that had been caused by another event. (MDH)

This study addresses some of the career decision challenges facing 9th- and 10th-grade students. The researcher discovered that many students possessed inadequate decision-making strategies, that counselors did not focus on career planning prior to and during registration, and that the school district lacked a comprehensive career guidance…

This study utilized the flow theory of intrinsic motivation to evaluate the subjective experience of 78 academically talented high school sophomores participating in an 8-day summer research apprenticeship program in materials and nuclear science. The program involved morning lectures on such topics as physics of electromagnetic radiation, energy…

The National Adolescent Student Health Survey (NASHS), initiated in 1985, is conducted to examine the health-related knowledge, practices, and attitudes of the nation's youth in the following health areas: AIDS; Nutrition; Consumer Health; Sexually Transmitted Disease; Drug and Alcohol Use; Suicide; Injury Prevention; and Violence. Findings…

This report describes an assessment of substance abuse among Portland (Oregon) Public School students in grades 7 and 10, determining the relationship between early and later substance use for planning and development of alcohol and drug education, prevention, and intervention. The survey was administered in 17 middle schools, 10 high schools, and…