Compared are the levels of attainment for the Science in the National Curriculum assessment in Great Britain in 1989 and the performance of students on the application of science concepts part of the Assessment of Performance Unit-Science carried out in 1980-84. (KR)

Item analysis data were collected for the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test and Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test, from urban and rural Alberta (Canada) youngsters and Inuit youngsters from the Northwest Territories (Canada). Both tests were inadequate in individual item difficulty levels, suggesting the necessity of revising scoring systems and…

Increasing emphasis on assessment and concern about assessment techniques have stirred interest in alternative assessment forms, for which evidence is needed about consequences, transfer of performance on specific assessment tests, and assessment fairness. Criteria concerning consequences, fairness, transfer-generalizability, cognitive complexity,…

This article describes the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, an assessment of intelligence for individuals ages 4 to 90. The test is designed for those circumstances in which a brief measure of intelligence will suffice and trained professionals may be unavailable for the assessments. Its administration, reliability, and validity are discussed.…

In 2003 the first nationally-comparable science assessment was designed, developed and carried out under the auspices of the national council of education ministers, the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA). In 2006 a second science assessment was conducted and, for the first time nationally, the…

For the past 8 years, Research for Better Schools, Inc. (RBS) has prepared an analysis of state-wide trends in student achievement in the mid-Atlantic states (i.e., Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania). For this year, instead of quantitatively examining trends in student achievement scores, RBS decided to…

This paper examines the controversies surrounding the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and its use in college admissions policies. An early section reviews the history and development of the test. Next the essay reviews a series of challenges to the SAT: many argue that the structure of the examination is biased against women and minorities. Others…

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…

This paper discusses the development of a criterion-referenced assessment measure for both written English and American Sign Language (ASL) that can be used with deaf elementary through secondary students. The measure is presented as well as the results of a trial use. Developed by the Cleary School for the Deaf, the Cleary Language Assessment…

We describe the item modeling development and evaluation process as applied to a quantitative assessment with high-stakes outcomes. In addition to expediting the item-creation process, a model-based approach may reduce pretesting costs, if the difficulty and discrimination of model-generated items may be predicted to a predefined level of…

The ACT Assessment is a measure of skills in English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning necessary for college coursework. This booklet is intended to help students do their best on the ACT. It summarizes general test-taking strategies, describes the content of each of the tests, provides specific tips for each, and lets students know…

This document provides basic information about the Statewide Student Assessment System in New Mexico. There are four components of the Statewide Student Assessment System that are guided by the State Department of Education. Each component serves a specific purpose and targets specific grade levels. The purpose of the reading assessment of grades…

This summary report provides information about three of New Mexico's statewide assessments in 1997-1998. In spring 1998, the CTBS5/Terra Nova Survey Plus achievement test was administered to approximately 65,000 students in grades 4, 6, and 8 as part of the New Mexico Achievement Assessment Program. With three exceptions, the median national…

Examines three English oral language proficiency tests in terms of whether the tests measure basic interpersonal communication skills or cognitive-academic language proficiency. Suggests that oral language proficiency tests should be academic in nature if their purpose is to determine whether language-minority students can meet the demands of…

This article describes the Behavior Rating Profile-Second Edition, a rating scale designed to identify students ages 6.6 to 18 years with behavioral, emotional, personal, and social adjustment problems. The test contains a Teacher Rating Scale, a Parent Rating Scale, and Student Rating Scales. Its administration, reliability, and validity are…