The four parts of this report are: (1) the purposes of evaluation and reporting; (2) relationship to educational philosophy and methods of teaching, including historical development, present reporting practice and criticisms of these practices, and alternatives to conventional grading; (3) the best way to report student achievement; and (4)…

The orientation of this report is that of identifying educational projects which can be considered truly exemplary. The bulk of the report consists of a 23-step procedure for validating the effectiveness of educational programs using existing evaluation data. It is not intended as a guide for conducting evaluations but rather for interpreting data…

Test construction is not the strictly logical process that we might wish it to be. This is particularly true in a large on-going project such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Most of the really deep questions can only be answered by the exercise of well-informed human judgment. Criterion-referenced testing is still a term…

The author describes the structure, content, and standardization of the Stanford Mental Arithmetic Test (SMAT), which was developed at Stanford University from 1973 to 1975. (MN)

The purpose for which a test is needed is the most important criterion for deciding which type of student assessment tool should be used. Standardized tests were developed as sorting instruments based upon certain views of knowledge and learning. Educators, according to their own values, must either bring standardized tests more into line with…

Explains how Dr. Ronald R. Edmonds discovered five characteristics common to 55 United States schools exhibiting academic effectiveness. Explains the characteristics: large portion of principal's time spent in classrooms, global understanding of school's major purpose, orderly school climate, teacher behavior, and close monitoring of students…

Describes procedure for combining Stanford Achievement Test items with local supplementary items to measure individual and aggregate student performance in mathematics. Two reports are generated from the test results: a diagnostic report of student mastery of each objective and an overall score. (TE)

A comprehensive review of test practices and recommendations for setting up a district testing program that will meet informational needs. (Editor)

A school and community must state their goals for students and then, avoiding the use of commerical tests, design a means of evaluation to determine if those goals have been met. (Author/JM)

Explains and contrasts the techniques and philosophies of norm-referenced (NRT) and criterion-referenced tests (CRT). NRTs are criticized for lack of useful information and control. CRTs are usually teacher-made and customized to fit the classroom needs, offering more control over test content, but few teachers are prepared to develop them. (SM)

This study established criterion-referenced standards for selected tests of arm and shoulder girdle strength and endurance in college females. Tests of trained and untrained students using the contrasting groups method yielded criterion cutoff scores that classified subjects as trained or untrained based on upper arm and shoulder girdle resistance…

This survey on modifications allowed for students with disabilities by 30 states in statewide criterion-referenced testing programs found no universal agreement about modifications. Accommodations in Test Setting and Test Scheduling were more frequently allowed than revisions in Test Directions or Test Format. Assistance devices and accommodations…

This monograph on developing and implementing admission testing for prospective teachers includes information on: (1) competency assessment activities in 31 selected states, the basic skills assessed, and time of testing--prior to admission and/or certification; (2) competency test development; (3) competency testing for admission into teacher…

This report is divided into two parts in order to make the practical outcomes of a content referenced interpretive system for standardized reading tests available for immediate use by teachers and others, while presenting the technical aspects of the studies in a form appropriate for study by researchers in the fields of reading and educational…

Currently available measures of functional literacy for adults are reviewed and evaluated. This report concentrates on tests that are referenced to literary skills important to an adequately functioning adult, such as life skills, coping skills, etc. Because functional literacy has frequently been defined in terms of a grade level equivalent or…