The Key Stage 2 Reading Standard Assessment Test (SAT) is a national test of reading comprehension taken by all 11-year olds in state schools in England. The results of this high-stakes test are used for accountability and comparative purposes. While it is acknowledged that these uses have a negative impact on both schools and pupils [Education…

Complex problem solving (CPS) as a cross-curricular competence has recently attracted more attention in educational psychology as indicated by its implementation in international educational large-scale assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment. However, research on the development of CPS is scarce, and the few…

This study was designed to explore children's understanding of formative assessment and its effects on their learning, in order to establish what learners perceive as important to help them improve their learning. The study found that children have a good understanding of the concepts of feedback, and can articulate clearly the elements most…

This paper challenges the assumption that meaning is in some way magically encoded within texts and argues that questions, when they are used simply as tools to lead readers to a single meaning, are inadequate as a means of reading comprehension assessment. The paper then goes on to describe one of a series of micro case studies that explored…

Test-retest data (six-month interval) collected on preadolescent student self-concepts, teachers' ratings of student self-concepts, and academic ability provided strong support for the construct validity of self-concept. The multiple dimensions of self-concept showed a logical and consistent pattern of relationships with a variety of criteria.…

Presents a teaching module for upper elementary students that devotes eight class periods of study to Canadian resources. Includes study of the Canadian fur trade, fishing industry, forestry, and the problems caused by acid rain. Includes the unit evaluation. (DB)

This preliminary report on the findings of the Manitoba Writing Assessment Program for grade 4 contains a summary of student performance for the provincial sample as a whole. The report is based on a systematic random sample (224 papers) consisting of 50% of all students enrolled in grade 4 English in Franco-Manbitoban schools. Chapter 1 describes…

Explores the relationship between pupil attainments on British National Curriculum Tests at the end of Key Stage 2, teacher assessments, and several pupil characteristics, such as gender and age) using representative samples drawn from schools in England from 1996-1998. Finds levels of agreement between teacher assessments and test results…

A study investigated whether a teacher-pupil conference could serve as a vehicle for gathering data from children on the self-assessment of learning. The "Worksamples Interview" (a 10-item questionnaire that focuses on different dimensions of children's work) was used with 93 children in Years 4, 5, and 6 in one school in a large city in…

A study of 348 Canadian students (grades 6-8) identified as gifted by domain-general criteria, investigated whether the students would score at similar levels on linguistic, logical/mathematical, and social/emotional measures or whether their scores would indicate domain-differentiated patterns of development. Results indicate the students had…

Reports on what British junior level teachers in the United Kingdom are doing in terms of giving formative/diagnostic feedback on literacy at Key Stage 2 classrooms. Finds that teachers made judgments about and provided feedback on a wide range of literacy events, even thought these interactions may not have been viewed explicitly as assessment.…

This booklet provides Grade 6 teachers, administrators, and students with samples of students' writing that exemplify the criteria used to score students' written responses on the June 1988 Grade 6 English Language Arts Achievement Test. The writing assignment required students to read the beginning of a story and use their imaginations to…

This booklet is the Teacher's Manual for "Spell-Write" (Revised), a text to aid students in New Zealand in writing, spelling, and word study programs. "Spell-Write" (Revised) will be used predominantly in Years 4-7 classrooms. The overriding principle which has been retained in this revised edition is that of…

Student ratings of their own self-concept were moderately correlated with teacher ratings of their self-concept, with academic achievement test results, and with teacher ratings of academic ability. These findings provide strong support for the multidimensionality of self-concept. The Self Description Questionnaire used in the study is included.…

Urban Canadian sixth-graders (n=84) were tested on 80 arithmetic word problems developed as part of a larger set to reflect individual differences in problem solving. Problems varied in complexity of language and amount of extraneous information present. Results indicated substantial internal consistency and concurrent validity relative to…