Kenya's secondary school curriculum includes a total of 68 different subjects; a core curriculum has yet to be implemented. The Certificate of Primary Education and the Kenya Certificate of Education are used to select those few students who may continue to secondary education, higher education, and employment. (GDC)

The nature and quality of teacher-developed tests was studied in a national sample of 228 teachers representing four grade levels and several subjects. Teachers described their patterns of test use, concerns about assessment, and use of performance testing. Teacher-developed performance assessment was heavily used. (Author/GDC)

This digest focuses on academic testing and American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students. Ideally, test results should be used to improve student learning. Proponents of high-stakes testing say it is needed to measure student achievement and school quality and to hold students and teachers accountable. High-stakes testing is also used to…

The original data strategy on which PISA was based suggested that, after the completion of the first three assessments in 2000, 2003 and 2006, the cycle would repeat itself with three-yearly assessments in the areas of reading, mathematics and science. However, in light of newly emerging policy priorities and the experience gained with PISA so…

A method for analyzing test-item responses is proposed to examine differential item functioning (DIF) in multiple-choice items within the latent class framework. Different models for detection of DIF are formulated, defining the subgroup as a latent variable. An efficient estimation method is described and illustrated. (SLD)

Discusses early feminist efforts in psychological assessment, and reviews general issues related to feminist methodology. Successful impact and lack of impact of feminist criticism are illustrated by the revisions of the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (1990), respectively. (SLD)

Issues regarding confidence and tolerance intervals are discussed within the context of educational measurement. Conceptual distinctions are drawn between these two types of intervals; and examples, under various error and true score models, are used to compare such intervals. It is shown that there tend to be only small differences in tolerance…

Author argued that teachers rather than outside examiners should be responsible for assessing the abilities and achievements of their students. (Editor/RK)

The present research was designed to determine whether performance on the Digit Span (DS) and Digit Symbol (D) subtests of the WAIS is affected by seating arrangement, since such information would be of obvious relevance to users of this test. (Author)

Performance on Inhelder and Piaget's pendulum problem was obtained as a validating measure in a study of the transition from concrete to formal thinking. The sample consisted of 236 children aged from 10 to 14 years. (Editor)

The NEA Task Force on Testing has been studying student testing and evaluation since 1972. Here is what they recommend for teachers, school administrators, and professional associations. (Editor/RK)

This paper summarizes the steps that led to the development of new test purchaser qualification forms (TPQFs), with major emphasis on a form for an educational test publisher. Three separate research studies, conducted by the Test User Qualifications Working Group (TUQWG) of the Joint Committee on Testing Practices, constituted the research base…

This annotated bibliography draws together references in English and French to Canadian materials on testing and evaluation of student achievement. The bibliography includes books, journal articles, tests, publications, and manuals, published between 1976 and 1984. Entries are arranged alphabetically under such topical subheadings as: (1) general…

One of the most significant revelations of this paper is a recent finding that indicates that a sizeable number of nonlinear relationships between pre-post gain scores of pupils are found when measured by newer, nonstandardized instruments, which are valid and reliable. When instruments/procedures of this sort are used, the fit for pupils at both…