Given the frequency with which teachers use self-developed tests to evaluate students, and given the paucity of requirements related to developing measurement competencies, some educators and measurement specialists question the adequacy of teachers' training in and knowledge of measurement principles. This study assesses teachers' measurement…

Internal structure and external validity of 39 multiple-choice visual arts achievement test items were examined. These items were developed to assess grade 3 visual arts achievement for a statewide model of a fine arts curriculum. Item responses were evaluated in terms of: (1) fit to the one-parameter Rasch measurement model; (2) item-total…

The impact of non-response (NR) in baseline data collection on the ability to analyze treatment effects in Project ALERT (Adolescent Experiences in Resistance Training) was studied. Project ALERT is a multisite, multiyear test of a smoking and drug prevention program for seventh and eighth graders. Questionnaires about drug use and related topics…

The Upper Arlington, Ohio school reorganization, in 1983, to include a middle school resulted in the development of a seventh-grade foreign language exploration course. The course provides nine weeks each of French, German, and Spanish, and relates the languages to content areas using an interdisciplinary approach. The fourth nine weeks would be…

As part of a review of technological studies in the province of Ontario, the industrial arts programs of middle schools and junior high schools in the North York school system were evaluated. The review was undertaken to: (1) determine current student enrollment and time allocation patterns for industrial arts courses; (2) examine the extent to…

The use of a generative and evaluative computerized prompting framework to improve the teaching of writing skills was studied with 164 children in grades 6, 7, and 8 with high or low writing skills, who were randomly assigned to control or treatment groups. The treatment group received computer prompts, think sheet scaffolds, and expert modeling…

Recent trends in achievement test scores among elementary and secondary school students in Iowa are examined. Form 7 of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) was used to measure the achievement of students in grades 3 and 7; and Form X-7 of the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED) was used for 11th graders. These grade levels were chosen…

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the mathematical structures inherent in grade 7 geometry curriculum objectives can be used to improve the communication of the objectives to students. Teacher inservice based upon geometrical properties and structures was combined with student teaching materials to try to improve student achievement…

The Kosrae (Micronesia) Department of Education operated a Title VII transitional bilingual education program from 1986-89, targeting the 1986-87 cohort of seventh graders. During the first 2 years, the students attended five village elementary schools, and during the third year attended the high school. This cohort had been targeted in previous…

The curriculum guides for foreign language and intercultural education programs in United States dependents schools overseas provide instructional ideas designed to promote learning about the language and culture of the host nation. The series, covering kindergarten through eighth grade, was written by host nation teachers, classroom teachers, and…

From 1985-86, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) conducted a special survey of reading and mathematics performance of language minority Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American children to determine the progress of these children at grades 3, 7, and 11. The study also sought to identify whether the differences in…

This building profile provides standard information about one of the 129 schools of the Cleveland Public Schools (Ohio) in 1986-87. Information for the Central Intermediate School (CIS), serving grades 7 and 8, is presented along with comparative data for the school cluster and for the district as a whole. In 1986-87, 404 Black students and 237…

The New York City social studies curriculum revision program emphasizes the teaching of basic concepts rather than the accumulation of data, providing students with necessary values and skills to cope with today's social problems. To accomplish this, the curriculum uses techniques of inquiry and discovery that aim at conceptualization and that…

This document is designed to help school personnel analyze their current curriculum for grades 6, 7, and 8 in terms of the Mathematics Common Curriculum for Oregon. The common curriculum goals are organized into nine content strands: (1) number and numeration; (2) appropriate computational skills; (3) problem solving; (4) geometry and…

Grade retention data were collected from the Campbell River, British Columbia schools to determine the prevalence of retention and its effect on school completion. An extensive survey was administered to 52 parents and 204 educators to assess attitudes towards grade retention. Individual interviews were conducted with eight teachers from various…