Explores the problems and procedures of producing test norms for bilingual populations. The difficulty encountered in defining subpopulations for separate test norm production and empirical classification is considered, and four practical solutions are detailed: school classification, person classification, test score classification, and language…

Describes a framework for examining the effects of the cognitive complexity of tasks on language production and learner perceptions of task difficulty, and for motivating sequencing decisions in task-based syllabuses. Results of a study of the relationship between task complexity, difficulty and production show that increasing the cognitive…

Describes the development and validation of the Portuguese Speaking Test, a simulated oral proficiency interview that uses a semidirect approach to examine proficiency in personal conversation, direction-giving, description, narration, topical discourse, and real-life situations. (CB)

Describes the preliminary findings in the Basque Country of a project shared by four European countries to teach a second language or a foreign language to preschool and school-age children. The method used to teach the foreign language--English--is based on the use of dramatized formats. Examines level of language proficiency achieved with each…

New York University instituted a classwide screening and testing program for specific learning disabilities in dental students. Follow-up, in-depth examinations yielded a 90-percent identification accuracy rate. Specific test results, data analysis, and comparisons of self-report measures are presented and program accommodations are suggested.…

A year-long study of the writing development of 27 first through third graders in an English/Spanish bilingual program was conducted during the 1980-81 school year. Samples of the children's writing were collected at four intervals, coded for computer tallying, and analyzed in terms of code-switching, spelling, punctuation and segmentation,…

The purpose of this research was to compare two different forms of a placement test in French as a second language at the post-secondary level, a conventional test and a computerized test. First, expectations regarding a placement test as a measure of general proficiency are discussed and principles of adaptive testing that have been used to…

Explores dynamics of parental involvement in one low-income, urban school struggling to improve student learning and to draw parents into all aspects of their children's education. Embracing a "family metaphor" helped participants overcome implementation barriers (overwhelming teacher expertise, culturally-based role expectations, and…

Significant progress has been made to enhance the oral English proficiency of International Teaching Assistants (ITAs), with the greatest strides being made in the linguistic aspects but little attention being paid to cultural communication and pedagogical dimensions. A survey of ITAs in the chemistry, mathematics, and physics departments at…

This 3-year research project sought to determine whether language differences between Gullah-influenced and English speaking students in Charleston County (South Carolina) influenced test performance and subsequent interpretation of test results. A sample population of 503 educable mentally handicapped, learning disabled, and regular students…

The two-part document provides background information on ethnic heritage and language schools (EHALS) in the United States as well as results of a survey and a directory of these schools in Cleveland, Ohio. Part I contains a rationale for community language schools, traces their evolution from the colonial period to the present, and summarizes the…

The development, administration, and evaluation of a national survey to determine college students' understanding of world affairs are described in 12 articles that focus on survey measures, procedures, and results. Stephen F. Klein and Sheila M. Ager describe the issues examined by an assessment committee, their choice of an issues framework for…

A study examined the processes used by the Illinois Department of Adult, Vocational, and Technical Education in evaluating vocational education programs and services aimed at limited English proficiency (LEP) students in Illinois. Data collection procedures used in the study included the following: (1) participant observation, document analysis,…

A study examined the processes used by the Illinois Department of Adult, Vocational, and Technical Education in evaluating vocational education programs and services aimed at limited English proficiency (LEP) students in Illinois. Data collection procedures used in the study included the following: (1) participant observation, document analysis,…