The School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS) presented in this booklet is a comprehensive rating scale for school-age child care programs that is based on criteria for developmental appropriateness for this age group. The SACERS is intended to be used in center-based care rather than in family child care homes. The booklet begins with an…

This study investigated whether different groups of native speakers assess second language learners' language skills differently for three elicitation techniques. Subjects were six learners of college-level Arabic as a second language, tape-recorded performing three tasks: participating in a modified oral proficiency interview, narrating a picture…

Using a question-answer format, this paper examines the concept of attachment and its importance for parents and caregivers of young children. Twenty topics are addressed through an examination of relevant theory, research findings, and clinical evidence: (1) a "who's who" list of researchers on attachment; (2) definition of attachment;…

The use of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Third Edition (WISC-III) and its interpretation in educational use are discussed. To measure intelligence, Wechsler believed one must measure the various aptitudes that contribute to the total behavior of the individual. The WISC-III has six verbal subtests and seven performance subtests.…

The e-rater® system has been used by ETS for automated essay scoring since 1999. This paper describes a new version of e-rater (v.2.0) that differs from the previous one (v.1.3) with regard to the feature set and model building approach. The paper describes the new version, compares the new and previous versions in terms of performance, and…

Assessment and review are the subjects of this document, one of 9 modules in an 11-unit resource pack designed to help trainers and postsecondary and continuing education staff meet the needs of special needs students in Great Britain. Having completed the module, staff should be able to: (1) use assessment procedures that specify students'…

Schemes for assessing reading achievement with specific tests have been in use since early in this century. The two driving forces behind the testing movement--scientific objectivity and compulsory education--blossomed in the 1920s and 1930s and continued substantially unchanged through most of the 1960s. In the early 1970s, the idea of mastery…

A Dutch study of the relationship between different student cognitive styles and foreign language achievement focused on the development and analysis of a grammar test for English as a second language. The test consists of ten subtests requiring the student to manipulate aspects of English syntactic, morphosyntactic, and morphological structure.…

The Efficacy Scale for Creative Productivity (ESCreP) was developed to measure students' convictions that they could be creative producers. Self-efficacy, an individual's estimation of ability to perform a behavior, is based upon performance accomplishments, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and emotional or physiological arousal. Three…

The National Commission on Testing and Public Policy is conducting a 3-year policy-oriented investigation of the role of tests, especially standardized, norm-referenced tests, in the allocation of educational, training, and employment opportunities in the United States today. This document reports on the first hearing, which focused on the…

This project first identified the specific mathematics, reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills required of an entry-level electronics testing technician (ETT), using a modified DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) occupational analysis process. This approach involves a panel of expert workers from the electronics industry who analyze and…

This project first identified the duties and tasks required of an entry-level retail salesperson, using the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) occupational analysis process. In this process, a panel of local managers and expert workers determine the essential duties and tasks of their occupation. Next, the panel identified the specific basic skills…

This paper briefly describes a number of techniques for evaluating students' achievement in mathematics: (1) checklists and rating scales; (2) standardized tests; (3) criterion referenced tests; (4) anecdotal records; (5) student products, including homework and school assignments; (6) teacher-written tests; (7) conferences with students; (8)…

Significant relationships were found between how teachers teach and how much children learn in reading and mathematics. The study's purpose was to relate classroom observations of experienced elementary school teachers' interactions with their students to changes in the pupils' performance on various measures of reading and mathematical…

Fourth, seventh, and ninth grade students in Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I programs were tested with the reading comprehension subtests of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, at each of two levels: on-level for each respective grade, and an easier out-of-level form. Approximately half of these students were found to be…