Executive function (EF) skills are the attention-regulation skills that make it possible to sustain attention, keep goals and information in mind, refrain from responding immediately, resist distraction, tolerate frustration, consider the consequences of different behaviors, reflect on past experiences, and plan for the future. As EF research…

Although researchers in higher education propose alternatives to traditional approaches to assessment, traditional methods are commonly used in college or university science courses. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility and validity of Prospective Science Teachers' (PSTs) concept maps as authentic assessment tools in a…

This book grew out of a conference sponsored by the Educational Testing Service and the University of Wisconsin's National Center for Research in Mathematical Science Education that focused on assessment issues in mathematics education. The book's 16 chapters focus on clarifying and articulating the goals of assessment and instruction. They are…

The DeKalb County School System, Georgia, has developed a unique leadership assessment program geared toward professional improvement through staff development based on assessed needs. The following three elements of this approach contribute to its uniqueness and address the three most common problems associated with assessments: (1) the…

This paper defines performance measurement as the clarification of objectives and standards, identification of key activities, data collection and analysis, and formative evaluation of services. It then examines some of the factors involved in using performance measurement to evaluate public services activities, and analyzes performance…

The teaching of interviewing skills is increasingly incorporated into clinical medicine courses in American medical schools, yet the attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts have been woefully inadequate. Typical outcome measures have included paper and pencil tests of knowledge, preceptor evaluations of clinical performance, and…

As a result of the pressures of educational reform and high-stakes assessment, some schools run the risk of foregoing active, student-centered learning activities for building test-taking skills and the memorization of discrete facts (Gredler, 1999; Jackson & Davis, 2000). Coupled with the additional pressure to fulfill the expectations of…

The purpose of the Australian conference on mathematical assessment was to address the challenges to traditional methods of assessment that have resulted as part of the call for reform in the mathematics curriculum. The 28 papers presented were: "Who Assesses Whom and To What Purpose?" (Leone Burton; "Assessment of the Learned…

Researchers of performance assessment in social studies have contrasted authentic assessment, which is characterized by contextualized, complex intellectual challenges, with multiple choice tests of achievement, which are characterized as fragmented and static. In calling for the need for authentic assessment, this paper outlines a plan for the…

This paper suggests alternatives for assessing various types of learner outcomes, along with a procedure for deciding which method to use. Whatever the context--continuing education, training, business, or the professions--assessing learner outcomes involves a set of four steps. (1) The first step in designing an assessment is to determine its…

Review of a research study designed to determine the relationship between participation in supervisory training and managerial performance focuses on the importance of adequate evaluation. Dependent and independent variables used are described, statistical analyses are explained, and implications for future research design are presented. (LRW)

Two studies are reported that measure the long-term stability of performance assessments involving story-writing and poetry-writing (involving grade four and five students) and story-telling (involving grade two students). The long-term stability of these assessments compares favorably with stability figures for other creativity tests. (Author/JDD)

This report presents the findings of a collaboration between the Evaluation and Research Departments and the Arts Education Department of the Wake County (North Carolina) Public School System with teachers of the district to pilot performance assessments in art programs. In an effort to accurately assess the arts, various alternative…

Reviews the increased attention to and skepticism about student assessment and standardized testing in the United States. Maintains that alternative assessment techniques such as the use of portfolios and direct assessment provide a more comprehensive evaluation of student achievement. Includes eight criteria for determining validity of…

This study developed a classification scheme to critically compare performance assessment projects at higher education universities in North America and Europe. Performance indicators and assessment initiatives were compared using nine basic dimensions: (1) locus of control, (2) degree of governmental involvement, (3) focus of performance…