This manual is designed to assist both special and regular educators with mastering the skills for developing quality teacher-made tests consistent with content-oriented instruction. The manual presents tips for constructing both objective and subjective, supply and select test questions--namely, short answer, essay, fill in the blanks or…

This paper suggests that clear understanding and articulation of explicit instructional objectives combined with the use of a simple table of specifications can significantly improve the quality of teacher-made tests. Topics addressed in these guidelines for the construction of tests by teachers include: instructional objectives, types of tests…

This fastback concentrates on writing technically correct test items that are compatible with the teacher's instructional objectives. The introductory chapter touches on some of the problems associated with preparing classroom tests. The second chapter outlines five steps in preparing a test according to the "Plan-Write" System: (1) prepare a…

The Survey of Testing Practices was administered to 470 undergraduate students at Pepperdine University and the Univesity of California Los Angeles. The items concerned testing practices in three or four classes taken the previous term: type of test, test administration, class size, procedures for returning tests, test difficulty, and observed…

This study encompassed the collection of teacher reported (N=326) testing practices and the direct assessment of teacher-made tests (N=175) for item cognitive functioning levels and construction errors. Focus was on assessing the nature and quality of teacher-made tests used in public school classrooms and describing the classroom teachers'…

This set of materials represents the first three workshops in a series of five designed to assist school districts and educators to develop their own curriculum-referenced tests. The series has been assembled to provide school districts with a relatively inexpensive test development method. The series is designed to reduce costs by pooling…

The results of a survey questionnaire of all teaching faculty at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) were presented. The researchers were concerned with teacher-constructed classroom tests and the problems encountered in developing, administering, and grading them. The survey topics included: instructors' current test development…

A study of elementary school teachers in California schools was conducted to determine the amount of testing they administered. Yearly state assessment tests, standardized norm-referenced test batteries, criterion-referenced tests, minimum competency tests, and teacher-made, curriculum-embedded tests were used. Testing in most areas was more…

Seventeen behaviorally disordered adolescents received training in specific test-taking skills relevant to content area and teacher-made tests. The experimental subjects scored significantly and substantially higher on a posttest of test-taking skills than did untrained matched controls. Deficits on test-taking skills may contribute to observed…

Views teacher-made tests as a fundamental part of the educational process, defining instructional purposes, influencing what students study, and helping instructors gain perspective on their courses. Offers examples of test items that can perform these functions, while assessing knowledge and skills. (DMM)

This article argues that little is known about assessment in the classroom by teachers. Much of what is known comes from research on testing and not from research on teaching which has been neglected. The implications of neglecting research on routine classroom assessments are discussed and corrective measures are suggested. (JAZ)

Describes a test writing program for a 48K memory Apple microcomputer with lower-case capability. The program permits the production of any number of different tests and also different forms of the same multiple-choice or essay test. (JN)

In September 2001, 37 educational researchers, assessment specialists, and practitioners from around the world gathered in England for a 3-day conference on assessment focusing on assessments developed and used by teachers day-to-day in the classroom. The meeting was structured to permit the development of ideas and strategies for bringing…

Describes the teacher-developed California Assessment Program (CAP) writing measure, designed to support California's reform curriculum and based on matrix sampling techniques. This program will be supplemented by literature and mathematics assessments. The greatest challenge is designing an assessment to match the state's new history and social…

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)