A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to provide data on the basic skills performance of first-time-in-college students who graduated from area public high schools between August 1982 and September 1983 and enrolled at MDCC in fall 1983. The entering basic skills performance of students who graduated in the top 20% of their…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 19 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) the relationship between the use of intonation and reading comprehension; (2) developmental and information processing factors in second and third graders'…

The proceedings of the ninth annual meeting of the College Reading Association consisted of the following papers: (1) "President's Address" (R. C. Aukerman); (2) "Planning and Implementing a College Reading Program" (M. Schleich); (3) "Reinforcement Counseling with Small Groups in Modifying Study of College Students"…

This report is designed to provide the Norwalk (Connecticut) Board of Education and the entire school community with the status of the school system testing program for the spring of 1987. From May 6 through May 15, the system administered the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBSs) and the Test of Cognitive Skills (TCS) to 5,113 students in…

The reading learning objectives for ninth graders contained in this volume are congruent with the Texas "State Board of Education Rules for Curriculum." These objectives and the measurement specifications are provided for use by teachers and other educators responsible for student instruction and for test development specialists involved…

Reflecting the increasing complexity and sophistication in reading research, the papers in this collection represent a wide spectrum of approaches, philosophies, viewpoints, and techniques of scholarly endeavor in their treatment of reading research and instruction. Following an address, by the president of the organization, on reading…

Intended for students taking the English 30 Grade 12 Diploma Examinations in Alberta, Canada, this test booklet contains the composition component of the June 1988 tests. During 2.5 hours, students are required to perform the following writing tasks: (1) a personal response to an excerpt from Annie Dillard's "Teaching a Stone to Talk"…

This paper describes the characteristics of the Minimum Skills Diagnostic Tests (MSDTs) components of the statewide testing program in North Carolina. The MSDTs' validity, method for deriving test scores, reliability and other statistics, test content, and test norms are discussed. These tests--given in grades 3, 6, and 8--assess an individual's…

This booklet provides samples of student writing that exemplify the standards that governed the scoring of student essays on the June 1988 English 30 Diploma Examination. Both major and minor writing assignments for seven students are provided, with examples of the full range of student writing. Commentaries accompanying the essays highlight…

This booklet provides samples of student writing that exemplify the standards that governed the scoring of student essays on the June 1988 English 33 Diploma Examination. Both major and minor writing assignments for seven students are provided, with examples of the full range of student writing. The English 33, Part A, Written Response requires…

At Colorado Mountain College (CMC), academic advising is based upon a comparison of students' basic skills with the skill requirements of individual courses. Students who enter CMC to obtain a degree must take placement tests in writing, reading, math, and study skills before they can enroll in classes. The placement test battery includes a…

Noting that accurate procedures for predicting reading ability in school settings are necessary for a variety of purposes, this paper reviews methods for predicting reading ability and presents a new, more precise model for use at the second grade level. First, the paper defines reading expectancy as an informed estimate of the level of reading…

The evaluation of the content validity of the Functional Academic Skills Tests (FAST) are described. The FAST was designed to assess the competency of inservice teachers in the Houston, Texas Independent School District in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills. Validation standards were based on the Equal Employment Opportunity…

Concern over reports that North Carolina elementary school students performed below the national norms in reading achievement led to the establishment of a pilot program to improve reading skills in grades one through three. The Primary Reading Program was initiated in 117 classrooms in 40 schools throughout the state; 117 control classrooms from…

A South Texas survey conducted in 1975 investigated the reading performance of Mexican American students enrolled in a bilingual program to determine whether or not students achieved significantly different reading scores on parallel Spanish and English versions of an appropriate test (Guidance Testing Associates Inter-American Test of Reading).…