Assesses the value of Key Stage 2 Mathematics national test scores as indicators of student achievement and whether standards are rising. Investigates mathematical attainment levels of Year 6 children on Mathematics 11 and on the national mathematics test. Discusses the results. (CMK)

Analysis of the policy process (expressed in seven propositions) involved in the implementation of a flexible unified system of post-16 school and college education, a reform effort that led to a political crisis in Scottish education in autumn 2000. Concludes that the process of introducing a flexible unified system is inherently conflict-prone.…

This study investigated problem solving skills in mechanics problems that required the use of diagrams. These skills were examined in two ways. First, the study examined student problem solving skills using solution scripts from the Western Australian Tertiary Admission Examination in physics. Solution attempts by students in the 1978 and 1979…

In 1981, the reading achievement of a representative sample of Queensland (Australia) Year 5 students was assessed by using a test that measured skills in the areas of vocabulary, comprehension, and speed of reading. The aim of this testing was to compare reading achievement in 1981 with reading achievement in 1971 and 1976. Comparisons of…

A study investigated the critical reasoning skills of a group of 111 Australian adult tertiary students who were practicing adult vocational and further education teachers and trainers, using the recently developed Critical Reasoning Test (CRT). It examined some variables that might be expected to affect critical reasoning scores. These tertiary…

The findings of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) are approached from the perspective of mathematics educators and education decision makers at state and local levels. Some key findings are highlighted to show problems and successes in mathematics teaching and…

Japan's Central Council on Education was established in 1987 and charged with recommending changes in the national curriculum. Expected changes within the next five years include reducing the school week to five days, introducing a program for gifted and talented students, providing more full-time counselors, improving and integrating…

Investigates how the language in which formal education is conducted affects learners' reading ability in the context of Malawi and Zambia. Administration of English- and local-language reading tests reveals that no significant difference exists in English-language reading ability between learners in each country, but large differences in favor of…

Ascertains the influence of the development of receptive phonetic skills on the level of listening comprehension of adults learning French as a second language in a formal setting. Test results indicate substantial gains in phonetics by the experimental group and a significant difference between the performance of experimental and control groups.…

Reports on recent changes in examination policy and practice in China, England and Wales, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Japan, Sweden, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Identifies and discusses some significant trade-offs arising from the implementation of examination policy. Discusses four nearly universal dilemmas of…

Differential tendencies to avoid guessing on the Psychometric Entrance Test (the Israeli college entrance examination) were studied as a function of language group, gender, and examination date for over 10,000 students. Students with different cultural backgrounds and genders differed in their tendencies to guess. Implications for test results are…

In a 10-week time-series investigation of a class of 12 students, this study looked at whether Suggestopedia affects more sophisticated language skills than recall. Both quantitative and qualitative measures were included to address the criticism that Suggestopedia affects memory skills alone. Findings suggest that Suggestopedia can positively…

Discusses the administration of the Test di Attitudine Linguistica per Bambini (TALB) to students 7-9 years of age. Correlations between the TALB and achievement tests administered at the end of the course were very high. It is concluded that aptitude is a main factor in successful learning of a second language. (16 references) (LET)

Selection effects in the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test due to socioeconomic status (SES) were studied using data from longitudinal studies (n=8,222). Results show that subjects from low SES groups constitute the most positively-selected group even though they obtain the lowest test scores. Gender and grade differences are discussed. (MAK)

The effect of different item formats (multiple choice and open) on gender differences in test performance was studied for the Swedish Diagrams, Tables, and Maps (DTM) test with 90 secondary school students. The change to open format resulted in no reduction in gender differences on the DTM. (SLD)