The purposes of this paper are to analyze some problems in using student test scores to evaluate teachers and to propose an achievement-based model for teacher evaluation that is effective, affordable, fair, legally defensible, and politically acceptable. The system is designed for detecting and documenting poor teacher performance. (Auth/JAZ)

This book presents more than 50 articles from parents, community activists, teachers, students, and researchers that analyze standardized tests and outline alternative ways to assess how well students are learning. The seven sections look at: (1) "The Testing Craze: An Overview," including "Why Standardized Tests Are Bad" (Terry Meier) and…

This paper investigated how the examination of student behavior, seen as techniques and their effects, has participated in the construction of citizenship in compulsory schooling in Finland. Data were gathered from "state educational discourse," including national curricula, governmental committee reports, legislative and regulatory…

This is the first comprehensive study to examine SAT I Math and Verbal test results for the nation's urban schools. This report, prepared in collaboration with The College Board, examines 1998-99 SAT I Math and Verbal test results in 58 Great City Schools (GCS) districts, analyzing test scores on: number of test-takers; race/ethnicity and gender;…

This guide to different/alternative assessment was prepared for participants in the Rural School and Community Trust, formerly the Annenberg Rural Challenge. Given that Rural Trust participants focus on local place-based education and the relationship between rural schools and their communities, they are not, by and large, enamored of the…

This paper discusses the new Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 amendments that require states or local education agencies to develop guidelines for participation in alternate assessments for those children with disabilities who cannot participate in state and district-wide assessment programs. The policies and guidelines of 12…

This paper discusses the new Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 amendments that require states to develop guidelines for the participation of children with disabilities in alternate assessments who cannot participate in state and district-wide assessment programs. It describes and analyzes the efforts of 7 early starting states to…

This study developed a normative core profile taxonomy of the four scholastic aptitude and corresponding achievement scales of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (Revised). Cluster analysis was used to sort 2,620 students from the standardization sample. Results of internal and external validity analyses provided support for eight…

Presents several common misperceptions about student evaluation of college faculty members. Asserts that it is essential to examine the operational processes used to measure effective teaching. Discusses the role of research, the importance of sociology, and the utility of standardized assessments of student learning in faculty evaluation. (CFR)

A study compared two methods of rating medical students' performances on history and physical examination: using checklists completed by standardized patients (SPs) and databases completed by students. Results of each method were correlated with ratings of students by three physicians for each SP-student encounter. Results showed checklists…

Guidelines for appropriate test preparation practices are presented to ensure that tests used in high-stakes situations generate scores that represent their domains validly. These guidelines do not rely directly on two evaluative standards proposed by W. J. Popham (1991), although they share the concern for appropriate test preparation. (SLD)

Questions current emphasis on standardized tests and discusses several factors about the tests that should prompt reevaluation of their usefulness. Issues discussed include: development and design of standardized tests; the correlation between test scores and socioeconomic position; the discrepancy between test designs and accurate reflection of…

Student assessment, from the classroom to the state and national levels, is changing. The era of norm-referenced, multiple choice, standardized tests may be coming to an end, to be replaced by other forms of assessment, not all equally good. This guide outlines a vision of what assessment in the service of learning can be and provides ideas,…

This guide provides advice on effective use of assessments in adult basic and literacy education programs. Chapter 1 considers different types of standardized tests, their purposes, their advantages and limitations, misuses of standardized tests, and other types of assessments. Chapter 2 on informal assessments defines alternative and informal…

This paper describes a workshop designed to lead teachers toward the use of open ended response questions rather than multiple choice items. The rationale was based on the assumption that assessment will become more authentic because it will measure depth of understanding and deal with both content and process. Authentic assessment is defined as…