Over the past decade, RTI International has pursued the goal of quality, inclusive, differentiated early grade literacy instruction in nearly 30 early grade reading or early grade literacy programs in low- and middle-income (LMI) countries. Across our diverse portfolio, we have supported Ministries of Education (Ministries) in diverse contexts in…

Parents, students, teachers, school leaders, governments and the general public need good information on how well their education systems prepare students for life. A growing commitment by governments to monitor the outcomes of education systems in terms of student achievement on a regular basis and within an internationally agreed framework led…

The process of collecting student background information from parents using nationally agreed definitions of student background characteristics began in 2005. The original edition of this manual, titled "Data Implementation Manual for Enrolments for the 2005 and 2006 School Years," was prepared to assist schools and systems in modifying…

This document includes the final data collection and scoring tools created by the "Scoop" project, a five-year project funded through the Center for Evaluation, Standards,and Student Testing (CRESST), to develop an alternative approach for characterizing classroom practice. The goal of the project was to use artifacts and related materials to…

In 2008 the Council of Australian Government (COAG), which comprises the Prime Minister, State Premiers and Territory Chief Ministers, agreed to a new reform agenda to ensure that all Australian school students acquire the knowledge and skills to participate effectively in society and employment in a globalised economy. In order to advance its…

Describes the development and evaluation of a placement test used as a major determinant of eligibility to enroll in first-semester general chemistry at California State University, Fullerton. Contains 17 references. (WRM)

Gives a rationale for assessing critical thinking through writing. Provides examples of semi-structured open-ended test items used to assess critical thinking through writing. A brief bibliography is included. (JDH)

Six articles review the results of the 1985 California Assessment Program's eighth grade test of History/Social Science. Each article reviews areas where students excelled or had difficulties and makes recommendations for adjustments in curricula or teaching procedures. (JDH)

Presents, along with working definitions and illustrative items, an overview of the eighth grade critical thinking assessment which comprises approximately 40% of the History/Social Science test of the California Assessment Program. (JDH)

Three case studies are presented that describe variations used to obtain student perceptions of examinations and examination questions. Student perceptions can provide feedback about the quality of the examination. Results are presented and discussed and some examples of test evaluation questions are given. (Author/MLW)

Describes a survey of libraries listed in several special collections directories to determine how educational and psychological tests were organized and managed. Discusses access through cataloging or classification; management practices such as staffing, hours of availability, security, and preservation methods; and a copy of the survey is…

This test, the Silver Drawing Test (SDT), evolved from a belief that the intelligence of children and adults who have poor language skills tends to be underestimated. The aim of the SDT is to provide an instrument for assessing the cognitive skills of individuals who have difficulty understanding others and making themselves understood. There are…

A three-year research project aims to describe and analyze how school district management of educational testing and evaluation can better link these activities to instructional improvement, according to this first annual report. After chronicling the first year's activities, the authors discuss their use of case studies, interviews, and…

For almost 20 years, student achievement in the United States has been measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reported in recent years as "The Nation's Report Card." Based on a sample size of 25,000 students at each of three grade levels, it has provided the only data that reflect in a comprehensive way what…

Drawing from a review of the literature and a comparative study of evaluation techniques, this paper offers a rationale for the use of performance appraisal as a method of evaluating student writing. The literature review covers: (1) various roles played by composition teachers, including the students' audience of one, writing coach, and Socratic…