This study aims to analyze the alignment between Physics National Volume I test questions and physics curriculum standards as well as establishing a method of evaluating college entrance examination physics test questions using the Evaluation-Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (E-SEC) model. Firstly, Physics National Volume I from 2011 to 2020 was…

"Learning progressions" are one of the most important assessment design ideas to be introduced in the past decade. In the United States, several committees of the National Research Council (NRC) have argued for the use of learning progressions as a means to foster both deeper mastery of subject-matter content and higher level reasoning…

The publication of A Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) have created a need for new alternate content standards and alternate assessments in science that are linked to the new general education science standards. This article describes how a…

Programs supported by the Carl D. Perkins Act of 2006 are required to operate under the state or national content standards, and are expected to carry out evaluation procedures that address accountability. The Indiana high school course, "Advanced Life Science: Foods" ("ALS: Foods") operates under the auspices of the Perkins…

The Science Learning Assessment (SLA) is an individually administered, instructionally sensitive science assessment for kindergarten students. The SLA is a 24-item objective test, broken down into two subtests. The Scientific Inquiry Processes subtest consists of 9 items designed to measure young children's functional understanding of the nature…

The authors (a) discuss the importance of alignment for facilitating proper assessment and instruction, (b) describe the three most common methods for evaluating the alignment between state content standards and assessments, (c) discuss the relative strengths and limitations of these methods, and (d) discuss examples of applications of each…

A preventive health education course was added as a new requirement for graduation from Nebraska high schools. Students who already know about health issues are permitted to waive the course upon completion of a special test that was derived from the six major course objectives. Results of the first administration and validation procedures are…

As individual states and communities work out curriculum and instructional expectations, high quality assessments of communication skills will continue to evolve. An active cycle of setting goals, developing instruction, teaching, testing, and assessing student and system success is the key to the process of renewal and improvement. All types of…

A gifted-education researcher discusses the potential effects of No Child Left Behind on gifted children and adolescents as well as implications for those who counsel such children in public schools. With the primary purpose of stimulating thought, discussion, and action, she addresses the marginalization of gifted and other at-risk children in…

Four threats to validity of an alternative objective test item format, the multiple-mark format, were studied with data from a state-mandated assessment with about 30,000 students at each of three grade levels. Reliability and validity coefficients show that the format has promise as an objective format that can be aligned with new curriculum…

This survey was conducted by the Association for Professional Development in Career and Technical Education, APDCTE, as a professional service. The idea for this originated during the APDCTE executive breakfast meeting during the 2003 Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Annual Convention in Orlando Florida. The goal of this…

Three areas of concern for those considering competency-based graduation requirements are discussed. First, what is involved in implementing a competency-based graduation requirement? The first tasks are the specification of performance standards and the performance skill areas. Then, appropriate certification procedures can be selected, and their…