Many factors influence the grades students earn. Without the intervention of institutional forces, it is reasonable to suspect that the mean semester index of successful students will remain constant with the passage of time. If, on the other hand, institutional variables exist that influence grading standards, then it is reasonable to suspect…

A study was conducted at Butte College to determine the effectiveness of the college's assessment and placement program. Between January 1981 and summer 1982, the Nelson-Denny Reading Test and a writing sample were used in placement; while after summer 1982, the Stanford Task Tests of English and Reading Abilities were used. The primary file of…

Minimum competency testing (MCT) programs for students are growing in popularity and being adopted by many states. In order to determine the extent of the MCT movement, researchers at North Carolina State University surveyed state departments of education in all 50 states. In updating these data for 1986-1987, it was found that 64 percent of the…

The York Region Board of Education in Ontario, Canada, screens students for giftedness in grade 3. This report analyzes data produced in the 1986-87 screening procedure, involving approximately 3,400 students. The report begins with a review of procedural changes that were designed to make the screening more effective and efficient than earlier…

Beginning in 1978, Fullerton College implemented a mandatory assessment/placement program designed to assess student skills, ameliorate skill deficiencies through basic instruction, and place students in classes appropriate to their level of competency. A study was conducted to determine the impact of the skills prerequisite system on the progress…

Using data tables to verify statements and highlight needed changes, this report provides accountability for the activities of Sacramento City College's (SCC's) Assessment Center from November 1, 1981 through March 31, 1982. After noting a 9.4% increase in Assessment Center use during the period, the report provides data on the reading levels of…

The MAT-6 Writing Test (The Psychological Corporation, 1986) was administered to Oklahoma students in grades 7 and 10 in February 1989, in compliance with state law. The inception, implementation procedures, assessment instruments, and results of the Writing Assessment Component of the Oklahoma School Testing Program are described. District-level…

Variability in diagnostic procedures and a lack of valid and reliable measures led to the development of a comprehensive battery, which incorporated an operational definition of learning disabilities. The battery consisted of forms for observing these functions: intelligence, academic achievement, gross and fine motor control, visual perception,…

This report provides an account of the activites of Sacramento City College's (SCC's) Assessment Center from November 1, 1982 to March 31, 1983; information regarding the competency levels of the SCC student population; statistical data on research activities; and information on the proposed expansion of assessment/placement services. Following a…

In fall 1985, a study was conducted by the Colorado State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education to analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of community college assessment programs throughout the state. Each community college in the state randomly selected 100 students whose basic skills had been assessed and who had enrolled in…

The activities of Sacramento City College's (SCC's) Assessment Center are described in this report for April 1, 1982 through October 31, 1982. After revealing a 12.13% increase in the use of the Assessment Center over the previous year, the report provides data on the reading levels of SCC students and shows that through the college's assessment…

The California Assessment Program (CAP) is meant to be an efficient testing program limited to furnishing program-diagnostic information to state-level policymakers. During 1981-82 all 3rd-, 6th-, and 12th-grade students in the state's public schools were tested in reading, written language, and mathematics basic skills. Summary findings were that…

This document contains tabular displays of data pertaining to the number of handicapped pupils served by South Carolina public schools for the 1985-86 academic year. Charts provide information on: (1) public school programs for handicapped children (reported by category of handicapping condition and program model); (2) handicapped children…

The New Jersey Basic Skills Assessment Program was created to determine the status of basic skills preparedness of freshmen entering public colleges and universities and to offer data to help colleges place freshman students in appropriate courses. The New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Test (NJCBSPT) is a 3-hour-and-20-minute examination…

This report presents test results derived from the student testing that was conducted in 1983-84 under the aegis of the California Assessment Program (CAP). All third, sixth, eighth, and twelfth grade students in California public schools were tested in reading, written language, and mathematics. The highlight of the 1983-84 expansion of CAP was…