Discusses the problems associated with the assessment of art and design. Identifies criterion-referenced assessment practices within the British General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) program as central to the development of a system of examination which is more fair to participants. (KO)

Based on a November 1990 seminar attended by tutors and development workers from Open College Network (OCN) accredited programs, this paper describes principles and practice of assessment in OCN programs in Britain. The first two sections provide information on the seminar and define assessment. Section 3 lists assessment procedures for…

The educational psychologist and the school staff of an ESN(M) (educationally sub-normal) special school in Great Britain could relate more meaningfully if the assessments of the students by both teachers and psychologists were related to a curriculum based on sequencing of skills. (IM)

Discusses problems in using multiple-choice items on criterion-referenced tests, offering alternative methods to determine if objectives have been met. These include batteries of true-false items, structural communication grids, concept linkages, and a scoring system which takes partial knowledge into consideration. (JN)

The article describes Data-Pac (Daily Teaching and Assessment for Primary Aged Children), materials which assess student performance in reading, mathematics, handwriting, and spelling present a selection of sequenced teaching objectives for an individualized program. Materials reflect the concepts of criterion-referenced assessment, direct…

Examines the British government's goal of introducing criterion-referenced, formative student evaluation in primary schools. Reports on a case study in which the reliability of a Standard Assessment Task was examined in three second-grade classrooms. Questions whether or not the decision to drop the task from the test was correct. (CFR)

The external examiner approach to assessment can address concerns that American educational standards are low, curricular coherence is lacking, and college students are learning insufficiently. The discussion: (1) contrasts the conditions in British and American higher education that make the British model inappropriate for the United States; (2)…

Contains five articles about various aspects of British science education. Includes articles on norm referenced versus criterion referenced assessment, proportionality in science education, practical skills in advanced level chemistry, creating an antiracist ethos, and heat transfer experiments. (TW)

Presented are three brochures--for employers, colleges, and prospective employees respectively--that collectively explain Britain's efforts to simplify the nation's current vocational qualification system and to set up new national vocational qualifications (NVQs) for all occupational areas by 1991. The new NVQs are based on the achievement of…

Discusses the science component of the Oxford Certificate of Educational Achievement (OCEA). Proposes that this measure be used for assessing the process skills of physics students as part of the new General Certificate of Secondary Education, which mandates that 20% of student's performance be measured in practical and experimental work. (TW)