To help physicians select appropriate screening tests for early childhood identification of developmental disabilities, 19 screening tests were administered by a pediatrician and rated by a panel of pediatricians and a special educator. Five of the tests were identified that approached standards for educational and psychological tests. (TJH)

Research was conducted to study possible alternatives to ACT and SAT for admission and placement purposes. A survey of California community colleges revealed that the information desired about students is how well they can write, how well they can read, and how well they can apply basic mathematics skills and that the test should not exceed $3.00…

This report is a cross-sectional analysis of the 1974-1975 mid-year performance of Follow Through, Non-Follow Through and District groupings of pupils in the Philadelphia School District. The report is divided into four parts: Part I offers comparisons of each Follow Through grouping with all other groupings in terms of mean score differences,…

The relationship of retest effects from pretest to posttest 2 to 4 weeks later was studied for 2,014 elementary school children (second through sixth graders) taking a battery of 26 multifactor aptitude tests--the Structure of Intellect Learning Abilities Test. Implications of score gains are discussed for age and gender groups. (SLD)

This study investigated participants' reactions to computerized testing and assessed the practicability of this testing method in the classroom. A sample of 315 secondary-level students took a computerized and a printed version of a standardized aptitude test battery and a survey assessing their reactions to the computerized testing. Overall…

A report is given on two years' experience in using the Anchor Test Study (ATS) norms, developed by the Educational Testing Service under contract to the U.S. Office of Education as part of the Washington State Assessment program. In the first year, the desire to develop a state reading achievement profile through the application of the ATS norm…

Best-evidence synthesis was used to review 29 research papers published in English that evaluate the effects of ability grouping on student achievement in secondary schools. Six randomized experiments, 9 matched experiments, and 14 correlational studies were reviewed. Findings do not indicate beneficial effects of ability grouping on achievement.…

Based on material prepared for the California Assessment Program, an argument in favor of authentic assessment is presented, and authentic assessment is contrasted with traditional standardized tests. An assessment is authentic when student performance on intellectual tasks is directly examined. Comparatively, traditional assessment relies on…

Comments on the apparent disparity between mathematics achievement as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress and various international studies, focusing on the comparability among studies, the magnitude of change in average test scores, and the role of family-related factors in achievement trends in other countries. (SM)

Recent test results reveal that the test score decline has ended, but the legacy of this highly publicized educational episode continues. One widespread interpretation of the decline and recovery is that permissiveness and a collapse of standards in the late 1960s led to the decline and that a return to the basics and to tougher standards caused…

EVALUATION STEPS WERE DEVELOPED FOR THE CURRICULUM CONTINUITY DEMONSTRATION (CCD), A JOINT PROJECT OF THE PITTSBURGH SCHOOLS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH. THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT WAS TO DEVELOP A COORDINATED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM WHICH CONSTITUTES A TRUE CONTINUUM FOR THE STUDENT AS HE PROGRESSES FROM KINDERGARTEN TO COLLEGE. INITIAL EVALUATION…

Instead of relying on standardized test scores and interdistrict comparisons, school systems must develop a more powerful, timely, and local approach to accountability that is truly client-centered and focused on results. Accountability requires giving successful teachers the freedom and opportunity to take effective ideas beyond their own…

There is little data available concerning the executive functions of children with dyslexia. The small number of existing studies in this field focus on single aspects of these functions such as working memory. The aim of the present study was therefore to assess a variety of aspects of executive functioning in children with dyslexia. Forty-two…

The purpose of this literature review and Ex Post Facto descriptive study was to determine which type of benchmark assessment, multiple-choice or project-based, provides the best indication of general success on the history portion of the CST (California Standards Tests). The result of the study indicates that although the project-based benchmark…

To determine the most accurate group-administered measure of reading achievement, a study explored variations of the cloze and maze procedures with second grade students who were native English speakers or who were being taught English as a second language. Subjects--108 second grade volunteers (1% American Indian, 49% Asian, 39.8% Black, 1%…