Although minimum competency testing is increasingly popular, there is presently a paucity of information on teachers' and principals' use of and attitudes toward these testing programs. Therefore, a study examined the use and perceived impact of standardized reading tests in Puerto Rico and compared these results to the results of a similar study…

Large-scale educational assessments such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) sample examinees to whom an exam will be administered. In most situations the sampling design is not a simple random sample and must be accounted for in the estimating model. After reviewing the current operational estimation procedure for NAEP, this…

To determine the most accurate group-administered measure of reading achievement, a study explored variations of the cloze and maze procedures with second grade students who were native English speakers or who were being taught English as a second language. Subjects--108 second grade volunteers (1% American Indian, 49% Asian, 39.8% Black, 1%…

A comparison was made of Durrell Analysis of Reading Difficulty and informal reading inventory (IRI) independent and instructional level designations for 15 children, aged 9 to 11 years, who had been referred to a diagnostic clinic for reading assessment. The children's reading performance was first scored according to procedures outlined in the…

Having implemented a testing procedure using the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests to identify recruits with reading deficiencies, the United States Navy conducted a study comparing the performance of recruits on three different reading tests. A total of 716 recruits completed the comprehension portion of the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests, the Tests…

The 1976 reading achievement scores of year 5 pupils in Queensland (Australia) primary schools were compared with the scores of year 5 pupils in 1971, using Reading Test QR5. The sample included 1,754 students in 111 primary schools. Analysis of the results showed that scores for vocabulary development, comprehension of implied meaning, and…

The purpose of this study was to explore the usefulness of the Rasch test analysis model for providing consistent scale statistics between content-referenced and norm-referenced tests across school districts. A number of content-referenced tests were created to assess student performance relative to basic skills goals identified in reading and…

Describes a study of reading skills improvement among 362 Morgan State University freshmen who were assigned to a corrective reading course after scoring below the tenth grade level on the McGraw-Hill Reading Test. Posttest scores showed significant improvement in reading skills. (PAA)

The spelling skills of grade three children who had received whole-language instruction since they began to learn to read were compared with those of grade three children attending a phonics program. Overall, the phonics group produced more accurate word spellings than the whole-language group. In addition, the phonics children's spelling of…

As constructed-response items become an integral part of educational assessments, setting student performance standards on constructed-response items has become an important issue. Two standard-setting methods, one used for setting standards on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading in grade 8 and the other used to set…

The differences in academic performance among two levels of provisionally accepted (Learning Support) college students--System-placed (S) and Institutionally-placed (I)--and other students were investigated. Of 523 Learning Support students in a required reading course (RDG 099A), 402 students exited the course. Chi-square analyses and t-tests…

The effectiveness of the Chicago Mastery Learning Reading (CMLR) Program implemented in Ontario's Kettleby Public Schools (KPS) was measured by the students' reading progress and comparisons with the progress of other students in French immersion (FI) and other non-FI programs, including a gifted program. Within six months of CMLR implementation,…

Fifth in a series of studies examining reading discrepancies in Cleveland, Ohio public schools, this report analyzed the spring 1986-1987 reading data so that accurate and usable information and recommendations would be available to decision-makers for related planning, curriculum design, and implementation functions of the district. Students in…

To determine if different graded word lists can be used interchangeably for assessment purposes, and to determine if age, grade, or sex affects performance on the different graded word lists, a study examined the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), Levels I and II, the San Diego Quick Assessment, and the Graded Word Reading Test by F.J. Schonell.…

A literature review was conducted to determine the current state of knowledge concerning the effects of computer administration of standardized educational and psychological tests on the psychometric properties of these instruments. Students were grouped according to a number of factors relevant to the administration of tests by computer. Based on…