State mandated tests are being implemented in the public schools, but states differ greatly in the complexity of their tests, making comparisons very difficult. States may have widely different definitions of what counts as proficient, and it is evident that state standards are set arbitrarily. It is also important to consider the relationship of…

Whatever has happened to using teacher observation as an approach to assess student achievement? Presently, the emphasis is upon state mandated testing to ascertain student progress. Much is written in educational journals about having students achieve No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal and state standards, signed into law in 2002. Much drill is…

The assessment of student achievement in mathematics is discussed. Different approaches should be used to ascertain student achievement of objectives in the mathematics curriculum. Some methods are subjective, such as rating scales, and these can be very useful. Among more objective approaches is the use of standardized tests. There is a number of…

The use of portfolios in assessing student achievement is contrasted with the use of standardized tests. Portfolios are considered more subjective than scores from standardized tests, and they present different issues in assessing and reporting student progress. Interscorer reliability may be a problem because of a lack of agreement about the…

This paper discusses some of the ways to assess learner achievement in history. Standardized tests are used frequently by states to measure learner achievement. There are many weaknesses inherent in using standardized tests to measure student achievement in history, especially the fact that the test may not be valid for the local classroom since…

There is currently much interest in the assessment of student achievement in public schools. This guide to forms of assessment discusses some of the most common tests and their uses. Standardized tests are described, and some of their limitations are outlined. State-mandated tests are common, and, because the creators of such tests are removed…

Three commonly used means of assessment of student achievement are discussed. First, standardized tests are often used to assess student achievement. These tests are developed by professional testing and measurement specialists who are completely removed from the local student and classroom. There are many objections to the use of standardized…

Many changes have occurred in techniques used to appraise student achievement in social studies, and these new approaches may put teachers in a better position to notice the progress of individual students and then plan for sequential learning. Some of the deficiencies of traditionally used standardized tests have been overcome through the use of…

This paper discusses diverse approaches to be used in assessing student achievement in geography. Criterion-referenced tests (CRT) are generally developed at the state level, and 48 of the 50 states have some form of CRT. As a result, objectives for teachers to use in teaching geography have been written at the state level, and the CRT is aligned…

There are many procedures to use in the evaluation of student achievement in reading. Each has its pros and cons. No single approach will be perfect, but with a variety of approaches a teacher may determine how much progress each student has made. Standardized, norm-referenced tests, once so popular, have come into disfavor as reading evaluation…

There is presently much disagreement about how students should be evaluated effectively to determine their progress. Some common methods are reviewed, including standardized tests and performance-based evaluation such as portfolios. Continuous experimentation is necessary in the effort to develop better measurement approaches. (SLD)

Because not all approaches to evaluating pupil achievement evaluate in the same facets of development, many methods are necessary to assess learner achievement in the different curriculum areas of the elementary school. This paper examines methods of evaluating pupil achievement, including: work samples, checklists, rating scales, sociometric…

Because not all approaches to evaluating the achievement of elementary school students evaluate the same facets of development, a variety of evaluation devices must be used to assess learners intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically. The following approaches are discussed as ways of student evaluation: (1) work samples; (2)…