Considering the heritage Americans been given, they have both the resources and the responsibility to meet the challenges faced as the United States struggles to regain--or sustain--its world leadership in postsecondary education. The growing importance of education has led to a lot of public attention and churning, almost chaotic policy…

Describes New Jersey's coordinated, statewide higher education effort involving mandatory testing, remediation, and evaluation. Reviews the program's history; the role of the New Jersey Basic Skills Council (NJBSC); the Basic Skills Placement Test, which focuses on reading comprehension, sentence sense, math computation, and elementary algebra;…

Reports on a statewide pilot project which compared testing using paper-and-pencil and Internet-delivered test items. Participants were students from 14 Pennsylvania vocational-technical institutions. Describes the structured use, what teachers should know and insight from the project. Demonstrates that the Internet offers a viable cost-effective…

This test administration plan sets forth the terms and conditions governing the administration of the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST), an instrument designed to measure the achievement of the communication and computation skills expected of all students by the time they complete their sophomore year. CLAST scores are required of all…

Examines reasons for using essay tests in the direct assessment of writing ability. Reviews the steps in developing a large-scale testing program; e.g., creating a pool of topics or prompts; developing scoring procedures; training raters; field-testing the system; scoring writing samples; assessing reliability; and assessing validity. (DMM)

Discusses the need for and the skill development and comprehensive approaches to postsecondary developmental education. Describes three models of student assessment/placement and proposes a five-step model. Considers the establishment of proficiency standards, screening test selection, student processing, assistance centers, and evaluation. (AYC)

This test administration plan sets forth the terms and conditions which govern the administration of the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST), an instrument designed to measure the achievement of the communication and computation skills expected of all students by the time they complete their sophomore year. CLAST scores are required of all…

Summarizes the basic skills testing programs of Pennsylvania State University, City University of New York, University System of Georgia, and the state of New Jersey. Discusses the use of test results, remedial courses offered, administration of the programs, and program evaluation. (JM)

For 21 years the Annual Condition of Education Report has helped the Iowa Department of Education meet its goal, providing valuable information on everything from enrollment to student performance, from the teachers to finances to the demographics. The data for this annual report are presented according to: (1) Background Demographics; (2)…

Provides information on the New Jersey Basic Skills Assessment Program, focusing on the evaluation of New Jersey colleges' remedial programs, their importance, and future directions. Includes data on attrition rates and mean grade point averages for fall 1982 and students requiring remedial reading in 1982-83. (DMM)

Drawing on findings of two Center for the Study of Community College (CSCC) projects, this paper reviews some of the services offered by community colleges to facilitate transfer to four-year institutions. Introductory material provides background on the low rates of student transfer and on the CSCC projects, which involve 6 large urban community…

This technical report describes the development of the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST), an instrument designed to measure Florida college students' achievement of the computation and communication skills expected by the completion of their sophomore year. Section I covers CLAST's background and purpose, the requirement that all students…

Testing practices in Lesotho are described. The Primary School Leaving Examinations are administered on a national level. The Junior Certificate Examinations, developed by subject committees, determine eligibility for the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate. Vocational and technical educational programs are also evaluated. Continuous student…

Prepared by four state-appointed task forces, this report recommends policies and procedures for basic skills education in the State of Washington to assist local and statewide planning. Following introductory material on the mandate and members of the task forces, Section I considers the organization and management of developmental programs,…

The project reviewed, tested, and analyzed the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute's (NOCTI) test series (written and performance for skilled occupations), using a sample of 16 examinations, to determine their appropriateness for use by the State of Georgia in their selection and certification of vocational and technical educators.…