The National Consortium on Testing undertook a case study of South Carolina's competency testing program. The Basic Skills Assessment Act (BSAA) passed in 1978 provided for the Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP). This program seemed a progressive approach because it is keyed to particular educational objectives. It is being implemented…

Designed to accompany a slide series called "Understanding Your Grade 3 California Assessment Program (CAP) Report," this package is the second in a series that has been produced in conjunction with the new third grade test. The slide series describes the contents of the Survey of Basic Skills report that contains respective school's…

Describes Assessment of Basic Competencies (ABC), a methodology for measuring writing, arithmetic, and selected life skills that is simple, inexpensive, and easy to reproduce. Provides results of a pilot implementation of ABC among 2,100 children in Bangladesh between the ages of 11 and 12. (35 citations) (MAB)

Examines the continuing controversy on test scores and student achievement in New Jersey. (RK)

In the first stage of a project to improve the general education offerings at Wayne State University (Michigan), the ad hoc committee on general education defined those basic academic skills that a general education program should promote. The process of defining and evaluating the basic skill of communication typified the process of defining and…

In an effort to assess the educational needs of limited-English-speaking personnel in the U.S. Army and to assess the effectiveness of existing programs in English as a second language (ESL), information was gathered from analysis of files on limited-English-speaking soldiers, 2,804 of whom were enrolled in the ESL program, and field studies of…

Discusses a variety of techniques for conducting assessments of English-as-a-Second-Language literacy programs, analyzes several existing tests, and presents ideas for creating new tests. A notion is considered for assessing first language literacy with learners who know neither official language in Canada. (10 references) (Author/LB)

A descriptive analysis of 38 studies from the early to mid-1970's evaluating the effectiveness of career education (CE) programs focused on student (K-12 grade levels) achievement of competence in the basic academic skills (primarily mathematics, reading, and language arts). The studies reviewed were conducted nationwide using a variety of…

Investigates the differences in the improvement in communication deficiencies of selected third- and fifth-grade children who participated in a science-based remediation program and of third- and fifth-grade children who did not participate. (HM)

The Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit (ALBSU) is committed to improving the quality of basic skills provision in England and Wales. It has encouraged the development of quality assurance in basic skills so that potential and existing students know what they should be entitled to expect. ALBSU's Good Practice documents published since 1984 have…

In view of the fact that 13% of the 9, 13, and 17-year-old students in the United States have been found to be functionally illiterate in a national study, this booklet was produced by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to review efforts that have been undertaken to strengthen students' command of reading skills. Among the topics discussed are…

The outcomes of postsecondary developmental education programs in the state of Ohio are the focus of this report. Directors of over 50 developmental education programs funded partially by state funds were asked, in 1976, by a Subcommittee of the Ohio State-wide Advisory Committee on Developmental Education, to report on any efforts made to assess…

This paper describes the conduct and the results of an evaluability assessment of the Adult Education Program, PL 91-230. It presents the findings on the intended program, the actual program, the plausibility of the objectives, the measurement of the objectives, and the program evaluability and options for improvement. (Author/LMO)

This report describes assessment and outcomes at Isothermal Community College (ICC) (North Carolina), focusing on four areas: institutional assessment, program assessment, classroom (course) assessment, and individual student assessment. Competencies and their criteria are outlined and include: (1) communications--upon completion of an associate's…

California's Pupil Proficiency Law requires each local school district to adopt standards of proficiency in the basic skills of reading comprehension, writing, and computation. Students are to be assessed in grades 4-11. Students not making sufficient progress towards meeting the district's standards are to be provided with remedial programs, and…