Seventeen nationally normed, standardized achievement tests were judged appropriate by the Illinois Title I Test Review Committee for use with Model A-1 in evaluation of Illinois Title I programs. They are the California Achievement Tests, CIRCUS, Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, Iowa Tests of Educational Development,…

This handbook for training program evaluators provides background information and practice activities in the following areas: (1) measurement: purposes, ideals, possibilities; (2) defining measurement domains; (3) person and item sampling; (4) test and item selection--with a selected list of standardized tests with pertinent information on each,…

This article examines what types of language tests are suitable in evaluating instructional programs in testing for educational accountability. Norm-referenced measurements are found unsuitable for this purpose; new, criterion-referenced tests must be developed. (CHK)

The Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) was mandated to meet the requirements of the 1974 amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It was hoped that TIERS would lead to a clear report of the effectiveness of Title I programs, based upon a synthesis of nationwide data. It has been extremely difficult to compare…

A liberal interpretation of Section 151 of Public Law 93-380, to implement effective local evaluation of Title I programs, is supported. Weaknesses are cited: (1) nationwide impact data, (2) unsound aggregation of Title I achievement gains, and (3) lack of consideration of alternative evaluation methods. (MH)

Seven considerations in designing the Title I Evaluation and Reporting System are reviewed: satisfying state, local, and federal needs; summative evaluation; differences in Title I subprograms; local use of different achievement tests; comparative analysis data; use of approved evaluation designs; and use of a common reporting metric. (MH)

A void exists between the rapid growth of post-high school trade and technical education and the development of educational management tools for that area. Hoping to help fill this void, this research effort concentrated on the development of psychometric instruments useful in measuring achievements. Trade and technical areas involved in the study…

This Resource Notebook is designed to help New Jersey school districts implement the state's Public School Education Act of 1975 which mandates a thorough and efficient (T & E) system of free public schools. The notebook is divided into three parts. Part I, the user's guide, discusses the purpose of data-based decision making, specifically…

In this evaluation of The Latin American Literacy Project, eight major recommendations are made based on firsthand observations of the project, discussions with staff and students, the evaluation of new program implementations, the interpretation of results from language proficiency and achievement tests, and the analysis of extensive video…

The effectiveness of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I reading and mathematics laboratories were evaluated to assess the improvement of underachieving elementary school students' academic skills. Laboratory students were selected on the basis of academic (rather than socioeconomic) criteria in grades 2 through 5; the control…

A classical model for achievement test development was influenced by: the educational tradition of selecting a sample of questions appropriate to a subject and counting the proportion of acceptable responses; the emphasis on obtaining a large and homogeneous sample of questions to insure reliability; and the tradition in psychological testing of…

The objectives of this booklet are to provide suggestions, procedures, and rules of thumb to aid the evaluator in using achievement tests in program evaluation. It also discusses some of the theories underlying the procedures for developing and selecting achievement tests and interpreting their results. Each of the six chapters offers advice on…

In this discussion of the use of achievement tests in evaluating Title I programs, matching content between test and curriculum is the main theme. The point is made that unless a test measures what is taught, it cannot be sensitive to whatever gains the instruction produces. Thus, if different instructional treatments have different objectives, it…

Abstracts are presented of the major conference papers and thematic discussions delivered at the 1978 Measurement and Methodology Conference. The titles of the presentations are: Policy-Responsive Evaluation (Wiley); When Educators Set Standards (Glass); Comments on Wiley and Glass (Schutz); Key Standard-Setting Considerations for Minimal…