Presents the purposes, strengths, and weaknesses of these assessment methods for adult basic education: standardized, criterion referenced, curriculum based, performance based, and informal. Discusses ways to establish a supportive assessment environment. (SK)

Discusses the use of both formal and informal reading assessment to help teachers tailor reading instruction to students' specific needs. Includes criteria for determining the effectiveness of reading assessment. (PKP)

Twenty early childhood practitioners (ECPs) and final-year Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies students completed a questionnaire about their use (or planned use) of formal and informal child development assessment instruments, their choice of specific instruments, and factors influencing decisions to conduct child development assessments within…

There are 11 behavioral dimensions which parents and preschool teachers can use in assessing the development of preschool children. These dimensions are: (1) sleeping; (2) eating; (3) toilet habits; (4) range of affect or emotion; (5) variations in play; (6) curiosity; (7) acceptance of authority; (8) initiative; (9) interest; (10) spontaneous…

The paper describes the history of the development of the special issue of the "New Outlook for the Blind" on assessment and the blind; how and why the subjects included were chosen; the general aspects of assessment that must be considered regardless of the specific aspect involved; and questions about assessment that need to be resolved. (Author)

A multidimensional approach to assessment of children with learning difficulties is examined. The approach explores factors along five dimensions: (1) learner characteristics (motivation, social-emotional maturity, cognitive abilities and styles); (2) task-based contributors (match of tasks to maturational levels and to cognitive style); (3)…

This booklet offers guidelines for parents on how to assess aspects of caregiver competency and program environment that indicate quality child care. Issues briefly discussed include: (1) types of day care available; (2) choice of home-based versus center-based care; (3) caregiver characteristics such as warmth and responsiveness, encouragement of…

Intended for parents, the booklet (part of a 10 booklet series on talented and gifted education) discusses the identification of gifted and talented children and offers general information on their development. Giftendess and talent are defined, and some guidelines for parents' identification of giftedness and talent are presented, focusing on…

Teachers can provide a much more detailed and informed diagnosis of language problems despite the continued use of inadequate standardized tests. Suggestions for teachers include arranging the classroom to provide interest centered activity areas which afford opportunities for observing student language skills. (Author/DB)

Three types of informal assessment procedures (interest analysis, interviewing, and observation) are described as approaches to identifying areas of need in individualized programing for the gifted. (CL)

Naturalistic inquiry is an alternative to traditional assessment and experimental methodologies for measuring the effects of early intervention programs with young handicapped children. Discussion focuses on (1) the inductive nature of the naturalistic method; (2) potential strengths and weaknesses; (3) procedures for data collection. (Author/JW)

The authors offer examples of situations that can be used to allow for the display of traits often associated with the gifted. (SW)

A reliability study is illustrated in which subjects are judged on a dichotomous trait by different sets of judges, possibly unequal in number. A kappa-like measure of reliability is proposed, its correspondence to an intraclass correlation coefficient is pointed out, and a test for its statistical significance is presented. (Author/CTM)

Results indicated that untrained observers perceived the group of children as functioning at a somewhat higher level than did trained evaluators. (Author)

Calls for a richer perspective in assessing prior experiential learning. Asserts that using Levi Strauss' totemism instead of metaphor (looking for similarity between experience and courses) may restore power, ownership, and centrality of the experience to the candidate for assessment, while allowing evaluators to engage in a novel but authentic…