The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has the potential to become a national data system and to meet the rapidly expanding needs for educational information. Historically, NAEP has had the objectives of providing relevant information for federal, state, and local policymakers; establishing a research database; and monitoring…

Focusing on technical issues, this paper critiques proposed changes in assessment procedures at the further educational level (ages 16 through 18) in England and Wales. Major structural changes are taking place at this educational level, partly because of large scale youth unemployment. The two current examination systems for the final year of…

This discussion of educational trends of interest to school superintendents focuses on three issues: (1) the general decline of birth rates, school enrollments, staff, facilities, and expenditures for instruction; (2) the increase in mandated assessments and programs brought on by declining academic performance and political influences; (3) the…

As part of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program, 132 preprimary objectives were developed in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Volunteer teachers assessed the attainment of these skills in their kindergarten children. A profile on each student was designed to report skill attainment to first grade teachers and parents. The…

The Virginia Community College System established an ad hoc committee to review its testing program. Each member college was polled as to the areas of skills, potential, or aptitude it desired measured in each of seven curricula areas. The detailed responses of each college are included in the report. The committee established the following…

As the result of the installation of the Certificate of Secondary Education, some method was needed for examining the student in history, one of the subjects constituting the work for the certificate. This report is the result of a study to define and outline what a part of the larger history exam should be, the individual term paper or…

A discussion of those examinations which mark one's advance from one educational level to the next, and those which are required for attainment of an academic degree. The topics addressed are test "infidelity," lack of validity, and their harmfulness on several levels. Some remedies are suggested. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

Foresees a dramatic impact on student assessment for both placement and instruction by rapidly changing technology. Considers the use of computers in pretesting, placement, vocational interests/aptitude assessment, special population tests, diagnostic assessment, linking assessment and instruction, scoring tests and generating data, and providing…

Offers a review of ERIC documents providing descriptions of testing programs and evaluations of student assessment programs, as well as materials focusing on assessment validity, state testing initiatives, and cohort testing. (DMM)

Reviews the process whereby Metropolitan State College (Colorado) developed a series of recommendations concerning the assessment of student learning. Discusses problems encountered and offers a sampling to show the style and detail of the recommendations. (DMM)

Standards-based reform activity dominated K-12 education during the 1990s, reflecting a consensus that improving learning requires state-level curricular standards and examinations. Opponents argue state-imposed standards and tests overly burden districts, degrade teaching and learning, suffer from numerous technical problems, and have failed to…

Norm-referenced tests (NRT) help compare the performance of one student with the performances of a large group of students, while criterion-referenced tests (CRT) focus on "what test takers can do and what they know, not how they compare to others" (Anastasi, 1988). Both types of test can be standardized so that scores can be interpreted the same…

The educational assessment movement holds considerable promise for encouraging college faculty to exercise collective responsibility to improve the quality of learning. Current efforts toward improving higher education include the Association of American Colleges' report, "Integrity in the College Curriculum"; William J. Bennett's…

A wave of criticism has been leveled at standardized achievement tests of basic skills. Part of the debate concerns the types of tests administered, such as the Standardized/Norm-Referenced tests, Criterion-Referenced tests, Minimum Competency tests, National Assessment of Educational Progress tests, alternatives to standardized tests, IQ tests,…

This document discusses the Assessment Policy Committee established to design and supervise the conduct of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and describes the legislation supporting the Committee. It proposes that the governance of NAEP be the responsibility of a board composed largely of educational policy makers, and those…