When individuals are given tests that are too hard or too easy, the resulting scores are likely to be poor estimates of their performance. To get valid and accurate test scores that provide meaningful results, one should use functional-level testing (FLT). FLT is the practice of administering to an individual a version of a test with a difficulty…

This brief article presents some of the facts and figures learned from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is an on-going nationwide survey to determine what America's students are learning. It is conducted by the Educational Testing Service, and, at the time this article was written, was funded by the National Institute…

A guide for developing educational criterion measures is presented. Subjective evaluations are at best highly variable and conflicting. Specification of objectives precedes selection of criterion measures. The criterion measures presented are intended for evaluation of programs, not pupils. Frequently multiple criterion measures are necessary to…

The third party evaluation of the K-12 career education project RACE (Researched Activities for Career Education) focused on test results of students in four selected grades. A career education questionnaire was administered as a pre-test and again as a post-test to students in the third and sixth grades. Ninth and twelfth grade students were…

Relates how the twin pressures of ignorance and prejudice acted as a serious stimulus to the replacement of the 1944 syllabus of the New South Wales curriculum with that of 1953. (HOD)

This overview of the Alaska system for test development, scoring, and reporting explored differences and similarities between norm-referenced and standards-based tests. The current Alaska testing program is based on legislation passed in 1997 and 1998, and is designed to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Legislation. In…

In 1998 the Kentucky legislature directed the state's Board of Education to redesign the assessment and accountability system. As a result, the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) was developed. Because of the major changes in the system, trend lines cannot be drawn to the previous assessment, the Kentucky Instructional Results…

Identifies eight factors that should be considered carefully by those who use and interpret achievement test data for individual children: base score, guessing factor, time factor, content validity, test reliability, instructional-level placement, diagnostic analysis, and individual pupil progress data. (RL)

The success of state assessment programs depends on how well the results are reported to their various audiences. This paper presents 11 guidelines for improving reporting practices, including: plan ahead; develop different reports for different audiences; and field test report formats, language, and content. (BW)

Methods of adjusting group differences in assessment and test scores are described, classified, and evaluated. Investigation of the relationship between intended use of test scores and the appropriate meaning of scores is essential for fair treatment in assessment. (SLD)

When 2006 Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) scores were released in March 2007, there were many questions about the comparability of the 2006 test to earlier ISATs. The 2006 ISAT was a new test, with new items, a new format, new timing requirements, and new scoring procedures. Many people were skeptical about whether it was appropriate to…

This publication is designed to aid teachers, principals, district staff, and other educators in reading, interpreting and using the data from the October 1983 Florida Statewide Assessment. This guide is divided into three main sections: an introduction; a discussion of the forms used to report results, and suuggestions for interpretation and…

This study investigated ways of making present and past results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and other data sources maximally useful as science indicators and to recommend possible changes in instrumentation and procedures that may enhance future NAEP surveys for these purposes. Primary emphasis was given to reviewing…

Presents results of traditional evaluation methods applied to an alternative high school showing that alternative schools can withstand and should welcome evaluation processes. (DW)

Based on 3rd, 6th, 8th, and 10th grade student performance on selected, critical language arts objectives, this assessment provides information in terms of objectives achieved and not achieved. Approximately 25 objectives are assessed; each had three to five assessment items. Other objectives were tested with items requiring written responses.…