Nineteen studies of the use of reciprocal teaching to help students improve their comprehension of texts are reviewed. The studies are grouped according to the type of instructional approach used, the type of student involved, and the type of outcome measure used. Two main approaches are identified: (1) reciprocal teaching only, in which the…

Perspectives on testing and grading are considered; and strategies, reference materials, and sample test items are presented. Attention is directed to specific impacts of testing and grading on students and teachers, purposes of testing and grading, and common complaints of students and teachers. Extra activities proposed for the teacher include…

The goal of test item writing is to create measures of the true achievement dimensions desired, not extraneous abilities or related skills. To encourage university instructors to apply newer test item writing technologies to test construction for course examinations, this paper: (1) sets forth basic principles for quality item writing; (2) reviews…

The effects of performance assessments on student learning were examined in a year-long project to help teachers in 13 third-grade classrooms begin to use performance assessments as part of regular instruction in reading and mathematics. The essential research question was whether students learned more or developed qualitatively different…

Classroom tests developed by seventh- and eighth-grade science teachers (n=23) and mathematics teachers (n=18) were analyzed by panels of content and measurement experts. The 41 participating teachers, each of whom contributed 2 tests, completed a questionnaire, an interview, and 2 measures of competence in testing. Teachers used all major item…

The Center for Evaluation Study at the University of California (Los Angeles) conducted the Test Use in Schools study to map the topography of basic-skills achievement testing and achievement test use in public schools across the United States. The survey addressed a nationwide sample of principals and teachers through a successive,…

Assessment can play a vital role in ensuring the success of citizenship education. Assessment should be an on-going process that informs about the progress and development of students. Guidelines are presented for designing and planning assessment activities, and several formats for assessment are described. Basic guidelines for assessment are…

This paper presents staff development implications for elementary and secondary school teachers which were gleaned from assessments of classroom teachers' testing needs, resources, practices, and proficiencies made by 586 supervisors and principals and 326 teachers in an Ohio study. These assessments included direct analyses of teacher-made tests…

The three chapters of this handbook are designed to insure that any school can use teacher-made tests and performance assessments as components of a learning assessment plan. Focus is on criterion-referenced achievement tests developed in Illinois for assessing the cognitive and psychomotor domains of learning. The initial chapter is designed for…

Teachers' uses of and concerns with various assessment procedures were surveyed in the Parkrose School District, Portland, Oregon. All 229 district teachers and student service staff were asked to complete a questionnaire. A total of 211 questionnaires was returned for a response rate of 92%; however, all but one of the analyses were based on the…

This paper briefly presents a history of comprehensive examinations in higher education in the United States, characteristics of comprehensive exams, and the use of such exams in assessing program quality. This paper then focuses on the experience of 11 program faculties at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville), that developed and used exit…

Because not all approaches to evaluating pupil achievement evaluate in the same facets of development, many methods are necessary to assess learner achievement in the different curriculum areas of the elementary school. This paper examines methods of evaluating pupil achievement, including: work samples, checklists, rating scales, sociometric…

This publication is part of a series of self-instructional teacher training manuals designed to assist vocational-technical educators or industrial trainers to develop and implement competency-based vocational education (CBVE) programs. The purpose stated for this manual is for the instructor to learn to construct performance and written…

Approximately 900 teachers in Virginia were surveyed to assess teachers' competencies in the 7 basic assessment areas identified in the "Standards for Teacher Competence in Educational Assessment of Students." Results will be used in designing training material in assessment for inservice teacher education. (SLD)

Eight papers are presented to assist career resource teachers who are working with handicapped students to prepare them for transition from school to work. "In Their Own Words: Teachers Share Their Experiences in Working with Special Education Students" (Lewis Allen) describes the use of cooperative learning in English, electronics, and interior…