The English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) is a multiple-choice examination that is designed to assess the test taker's ability to use English in day-to-day interactions involving listening and reading. It is intended primarily as an admissions and placement test for college students with English as a second language. The ELPT consists of…

This manual provides information concerning the administration of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) Pre-Enrollment Appraisal. The IRCA testing program uses the following tests, which are designed to provide an initial assessment of a student's level of English ability in the context of the history and government of the United States:…

The Galbahe Language Tests C1 and C2 measure the Spanish language proficiency of children aged 7 to 8 years (C1) and those aged 10 to 11 years (C2). Equivalent tests E1 and E2 measure the Basque language achievement of the same age groups, respectively. Both tests were designed as part of a study of teaching of the Basque language in parts of…

In implementing a districtwide reading project emphasizing staff development for middle school level teachers, the Moore County, North Carolina district conducted a study to determine whether middle school children could exceed their prior reading growth rates over a three-year period. Students from grades four through eight were pretested in the…

The administration of the High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) in the Trenton (New Jersey) School District and the impact of a voluntary summer tutorial program on HSPT scores were examined. New Jersey requires that all ninth graders take the HSPT, and that all school districts achieve a 75 percent passing rate to become state-certified. The same…

The Chapter One Children's Art Carnival (C.A.C.) Creative Reading Program was designed to improve students' literacy skills through participation in creative arts activities integrated with instruction in reading and writing. Operating at sites in Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx, the 1988-89 program served 334 students in second through fifth…

Sixty-three commercially-available instruments for measuring the outcomes of adult literacy programs are reviewed. Tests of basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills; oral English proficiency of English as a second language students; affective outcomes; and critical thinking are included. The instruments include paper-and-pencil tests,…

Reading skills are crucial to students learning and using English as a second language for academic purposes. Teachers can construct valid reading tests if they approach the task with care and focus on the test's ability to measure construct rather than face validity. In reading tests, the crucial elements of test design affecting validity are (1)…

This booklet contains reference group summaries for the Pupil Evaluation Program tests, the preliminary competency tests, the Regents competency test, and the Regents examinations that were administered during the 1985-86 school year in New York State. Summaries are also included for high school graduation results. Results are presented in tabular…

Noting that the proliferation of computers in the schools requires teachers to know the best ways to use them, this book shows how the computer can be used in a reading and language arts curriculum as tool, tutor, and tutee with currently available software. Chapter one defines the reading process in terms of its relationship to background…

During the last 20 years, the relationship between reading instruction and assessment has been framed by the logic of mastery learning. The ultimate goal of mastery learning is assuring a given achievement outcome across students by varying input characteristics such as the amount and kind of instruction and practice, or the attention paid to…

A bulletin for teachers and students provides specific information about the design, construction, and scoring of Alberta's Grade 9 French Language Arts Achievement Test that was administered in June 1986. An introductory section describes the purpose, nature, and administration of the achievement testing program in general, the students tested,…

This study examined the relationship between teacher education students' scores on basic skills admission tests and graduating seniors' scores on the National Teacher Examinations (NTE) at Eastern Kentucky University. The 1981-82 basic skills test scores for 262 teacher education students were compared with their NTE scores taken in 1984-85 during…

A survey was conducted among 489 public colleges in the Southern Regional Education Board states to determine cutting scores for placing students into regular versus remedial college classes. Results indicated a large number and variety of tests in reading, writing, and mathematics--almost 100 combinations of 70 different tests--were used to place…

The Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) was developed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), in response to Texas House Bill 72 (1984), which mandated a new basic skills assessment program for mathematics, reading, and writing at grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. This is one in a series of Instructional Strategies Guides designed to…