What do students need to achieve in reading? Students need to master phonics elements as needed. Ten cautions in teaching phonics are outlined, which also offer a framework for reading across the curriculum. Reflective thinking in reading is important, and students should be taught to ponder and probe ideas gleaned during and after reading…

Formative evaluation emphasizes continuous assessment within a unit of study. There are many ways which may be used by the reading teacher to ascertain pupil achievement: teacher observation, a checklist of important reading behaviors, rating scales, anecdotal statements, teacher written tests, class discussions, self evaluation forms,…

There are a plethora of ways which may be used to ascertain learner achievement in reading. This paper discusses such procedures. Comprehensive teacher observation of reading, using quality criteria, can be an excellent approach to assess reading progress. Selected criteria are discussed. Six categories of word recognition skills are important.…

The use of portfolios in assessing student achievement is contrasted with the use of standardized tests. Portfolios are considered more subjective than scores from standardized tests, and they present different issues in assessing and reporting student progress. Interscorer reliability may be a problem because of a lack of agreement about the…

This paper discusses some of the ways to assess learner achievement in history. Standardized tests are used frequently by states to measure learner achievement. There are many weaknesses inherent in using standardized tests to measure student achievement in history, especially the fact that the test may not be valid for the local classroom since…

There is currently much interest in the assessment of student achievement in public schools. This guide to forms of assessment discusses some of the most common tests and their uses. Standardized tests are described, and some of their limitations are outlined. State-mandated tests are common, and, because the creators of such tests are removed…

The weaknesses of standardized testing are apparent in assessing student achievement in the social studies. State mandated criterion referenced tests, aligned with objectives on the state level, may be better for assessing social studies achievement, but they also have weaknesses. The development of portfolios has been an attempt to compensate for…

This paper discusses the rationale behind and uses of high stakes testing. Much of the support for high stakes testing comes from a desire to boost student achievement by increasing student and teacher motivation to do well. There are many disadvantages to high stakes testing, including inappropriate use of the test, inadequate test development,…

This paper discusses assessment in science in the context of current discussions of standards and high stakes testing. Setting standards is always challenging, and care is needed to make the standards for science achievement neither too high nor too low. States must be careful to establish standards that are clearly written and that have high…

This document is a collection of papers dealing with science achievement and teaching and learning strategies. The first paper, "Quality in the Science Curriculum," discusses quality objectives, quality learning opportunities, quality methods of instruction, quality in the philosophy of education, and quality evaluation procedures. It argues that…

Teacher-developed tests can be more valid and reliable than standardized tests or state-mandated tests in evaluating student achievement in science. Many teachers, however, are not acquainted with the standards to use in test writing. The National Research Council has released "Classroom Assessment and the National Education Standards," a…

This paper discusses diverse approaches to be used in assessing student achievement in geography. Criterion-referenced tests (CRT) are generally developed at the state level, and 48 of the 50 states have some form of CRT. As a result, objectives for teachers to use in teaching geography have been written at the state level, and the CRT is aligned…

Community service is excellent for students if done in proper circumstances. There should be worthwhile, carefully chosen, objectives for learner attainment. Learning opportunities need to be safe and emphasize the psychology of education. Noting that he has supervised student teachers in the public schools for 30 years, the author of this paper…

Teachers need to stay abreast of the latest trends in the language arts to offer an updated curriculum. The language arts areas are vital in each academic discipline and integrate well with diverse subject matter areas. Some common trends when reading the literature on teaching the language arts are: portfolios; journaling; computerized reading…

There is presently much disagreement about how students should be evaluated effectively to determine their progress. Some common methods are reviewed, including standardized tests and performance-based evaluation such as portfolios. Continuous experimentation is necessary in the effort to develop better measurement approaches. (SLD)