"What gets assessed is what gets taught" is a common assertion whose meaning is often underestimated. It is not just what gets assessed, but how it is assessed that has implications for what is learned. When a child who is asked the meaning of his report card grades responds, "If I knew that I'd be the teacher" he is saying something about the…

As automated scoring of complex constructed-response examinations reaches operational status, the process of evaluating the quality of resultant scores, particularly in contrast to scores of expert human graders, becomes as complex as the data itself. Using a vignette from the Architectural Registration Examination (ARE), this article explores the…

Teachers can improve practice by examining students' work collaboratively. This paper describes how student work can be the basis for collaborative discussions about teaching and learning; notes that collaborative discussions of student work is increasing with the growing use of portfolio assessment; explains how to analyze student work to promote…

The Institute for the Advancement of Emerging Technologies in Education (IAETE), housed at Edvantia's Appalachia Educational Laboratory, addressed the need to assess technology literacy in an e-mail-based panel held during one week in September 2005. The conversation began with the importance of defining technology literacy, identifying a range…

Reviews strengths and weaknesses of value-added model of outcomes assessment in higher education. Explores important measurement issues that student development specialists who are currently involved in assessment may confront. Makes recommendations for researchers choosing the value-added outcomes assessment model. (NB)

Reviews selected research, widely-used commercial tests, and recent literature on critical thinking. States that evaluation of critical thinking processes should encompass more than simple tests. Concludes with six guidelines for evaluating critical thinking. (JDH)

This handbook provides arts specialists and gifted coordinators with procedures for identifying students who are gifted in music. All personnel who are developing district identification procedures and trained individuals who will be involved in the screening and identification of gifted children in the area of music should read this handbook. To…

Institutional, program, and student evaluation should focus on increasing the effectiveness of academic programs and improving student learning and performance. All higher education regional accrediting associations have requested more emphasis on assessment. The paper examines accreditation, approaches to assessment, and use of the Role…

Outcome-based education (OBE), which grew out of the mastery learning movement, calls for determining the skills, knowledge, and habits of mind students need in preparation for life after graduation. The article describes the history and implementation of OBE and provides a list of OBE-based resources. (SM)

The completion of the first ten years of this journal is an occasion for review and reflection. The main issues that have been addressed over the ten years are summarized in four main sections: Purposes, International Trends, Quality Concerns and Assessment for Learning. Each of these illustrates the underlying significance of the themes of…

Reports the efforts of the California Assessment Program (CAP) to interject critical thinking items into its new statewide social studies tests. Provides definitions of the critical thinking skills tested by the 8th grade social studies CAP test, and lists 100 critical thinking skills vocabulary words. (JDH)

Advocates both summative and formative student evaluation incorporating instructor, peer, and self-evaluation. Presents two examples of the rating format for illustration, and suggests that the key to the feedback depends on the consistency among the sources. Results should contribute to final grades. (JAC)

Presents a two-dimensional model for evaluating and grading preservice counseling students. The first dimension refers to type of learning (e.g., theory, skills, professional identity). The second dimension refers to level of learning or level of complexity. Demonstrates the use of this model in assisting grading procedures. (Author)

Examines the role of American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines in language proficiency testing, focusing on Japanese language instruction and discussing how effective that system is in relation to university classroom instruction. Two main issues are addressed: viewing ACTFL Proficiency Tests as having the…

The Goal 1 Technical Planning Subgroup proposed an early childhood assessment system that involved assessment of children before they entered kindergarten, at the time of entrance into kindergarten, and during the kindergarten year. The report that contained the proposal, and requests for feedback, were disseminated to nearly 1,000 individuals and…