In this article we examine empirical evidence on the criterion, predictive, transfer, and fairness aspects of validity of a large-scale language arts performance assessment, referred to as the Performance Assignment (PA). We use multilevel models to avoid biased inferences that might result from the naturally nested data. Specifically, we examine…

Alternatives to traditional grading systems are suggested in this article. (JD)

Shanghai Jiao Tong University has published on the Internet an Academic Ranking of World Universities that has attracted worldwide attention. Institutions are ranked according to academic or research performance and ranking indicators include major international awards, highly cited researchers in important fields, articles published in selected…

Abstract Research has demonstrated girls outperform boys on conventional literacy tests. The present studies concern gender differences on computerised educational tests. Seventy-one children were tested using LASS Secondary and a set of seven conventional measures. No significant gender differences were found on any of the LASS Secondary modules,…

"How New York City's Charter Schools Affect Achievement" estimates the effects on student achievement of attending a New York City charter school rather than a traditional public school and investigates the characteristics of charter schools associated with the most positive effects on achievement. Because the report relies on an…

With the recent emphasis on human development, development researchers are making frequent use of aggregate demographic measures in describing development experiences and more so while linking health and development. And it is often seen that comparison of these demographic aggregates across space and time is naive given their complex construct on…

Assessing educational outcomes is a matter of great importance for everyone in a society that relies primarily on public schools to shape the next generation of citizens. Given the vital nature of this task, it is imperative that the researchers who undertake it have an informed understanding of the measures used to evaluate educational outcomes.…

Seven major kinds of "bad" or "dishonest" marking systems much used by English teachers ar" briefly described. English teachers are urged to be more aware of recent publications which evaluate various marking systems. (BN)

A table of specifications is primarily a grid which relates the two major components of an educational objective--the content element and the behavioral element. The processes involved in constructing a table of specifications is discussed. The table provides a more precise and relevant guide to student assessment. (Author/EC)

Describes study in which 80 criteria of physician performance were collected from 205 Utah physicians. These criteria were then weighted by 3 techniques, analyzed, and then classified in terms of their importance and variability of their weights. Part of a larger study, "Measurement and Prediction of Physician Performance, supported by the U.S.…

The first rule for building and maintaining student interest in course work is to give him objective measures of progress. Twenty four coded criteria established through conferences with parents, students, and teachers, together with a system for scoring these criteria, will help to make grading more relevant. (KP)

Cautions are listed following an examination of the difficulties inherent in the teacher's task of student evaluation and distribution of grades on specific testing devices. (JS)

This essay advances a way of thinking about assessment that envelops both process and outcome. We assert that learning in community service learning and the assessment thereof might fruitfully be considered in communication with others (the students, constituents from the community, instructors, etc.). Concepts central to a social approach to…