In recent years, there has been increasing awareness on the benefits of social-emotional competencies (SEC) on Israeli students. A self-report SEL measure tailored to the Israeli context, however, has yet to be developed. This research aims to validate the Social-Emotional Questionnaire for Grades 4-6 (SEQ [G4-6]), a new self-report questionnaire…

This paper summarizes an action research project to develop a math screening instrument that would be effective (valid and reliable) and efficient (time for administration). An instrument was developed after review of the mathematics assessment and mathematics disabilities literature. The instrument was administered to kindergarten, first, and…

Although behaviorally anchored rating scales have both intuitive and empirical appeal, they have not always yielded superior results in contrast with graphic rating scales. Results indicate that the choice of an anchoring procedure will depend on the nature of the actual rating process. (Author/JKS)

Two studies investigated the comparability of scores from paper-and-pencil and computer-administered versions of the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) General Examinations in mathematics and English composition. The first study used a prototype computer-administered version on each examination for 94 students for mathematics and 116 for…

The mean scores of English Language Learners (ELL) and English Only (EO) students in 4th and 5th grade (N = 110), across the teacher-administered Grammar Skills Test, were examined for differences in participants' scores on assessments containing single-step directions and assessments containing multiple-step directions. The results indicated no…

The insights provided by Rasch analysis of results from a literature test were explored. Students in grades 9, 10, and 11 (n=261) responded to a 28-item test before they received one of three treatments: (1) direct instruction, based on research on metacognition in reading, which attempts to give conscious control of strategies used to understand…

Six university English departments collaborated in this examination of the differences between multiple-choice and essay tests in evaluating writing skills. The study also investigated ways the two tools can complement one another, ways to improve cost effectiveness of essay testing, and ways to integrate assessment and the educational process.…

The Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) is a relatively new, statewide performance assessment of students in grades 3, 5, and 8. When first administered in May of 1991, the MSPAP included a battery of performance assessment tasks designed to generate written or drawn responses to reading texts. This study evaluated selected…

The second International Assessment of Educational Progress focused on the mathematics and science achievement of 13-year-olds. Performance assessments were used as part of the overall assessment in four countries (England, Scotland, Soviet Union, and Taiwan) and five Canadian provinces. The performance assessment approach drew heavily on the…

A comparison is presented of alternate-choice and true-false item forms used in an undergraduate natural science course. The alternate-choice item is a modified two-choice multiple-choice item in which the two responses are included within the question stem. This study (1) compared the difficulty level, discrimination level, reliability, and…

This progress report describes the development and field testing of the School Mastery of Reading Test (SMRT). The SMRT was administered in May 1986 to 889 fourth graders in nine schools in Brooklyn, New York. Counts of students tested in each school and school profile data are provided. Machine scoring procedures are detailed, and results…

Basic life skill items developed by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to measure the achievement of 17-year-olds in the following areas are presented: (1) personal finance and consumer protection skills; (2) health maintenance skills; (3) interpersonal skills; (4) family responsibility skills; and (5) career development…