Flexible structure in a San Francisco State University shorthand course is described as a way to provide motivation for students. Topics discussed are transcription testing plan, method of evaluation, practice tests, increasing difficulty of tests, and classroom results. (TA)

Important findings about students declining test scores were made public recently in a report of a national study by the American College Testing Program (ACT), with apparently conclusive evidence that a national decline in test scores is real and that it is significant. Reviews the highlights of findings in the ACT report. (Author/RK)

Describes an experimental program in which fifth- and sixth-graders studied philosophy and made a dramatic gain in reading ability in comparison with a control group of students. (Editor/RK)

Discusses how behavioral objectives and knowledge are related, what form a performance test theory should take, why some people can skip prerequisites whereas others cannot, how people discover new information, the relationship between content and performance analysis, and, how one might apply the structural approach in adaptive instruction.…

Current discussions of the effects of test administration conditions (i.e., testing stakes) and the motivational levels associated with them on achievement test performance are reviewed. Results of a nonexperimental study suggest that, in contrast to a moderate-stakes testing environment, the National Assessment of Educational Progress does not…

Student achievement was compared for open-book and closed-book examinations taken by 72 college students in Cyprus. There were no significant differences in total examination score between the two types of tests, although those who took the closed-book examination had slightly higher scores. (SLD)

Data from large-scale international studies for 13 countries indicate that U.S. students are clearly not the most heavily tested students on earth if one compares systemwide tests by their duration. In the United States, tests are much more likely to be of low consequence for the student. (SLD)

Examines the format and nature of the two required writing tasks in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) English Examination. Asserts that the test assignments do not properly assess writing ability and are problematic, tedious, and ineptly-conceived ordeals for pupils. Discusses the use of writing folders as an alternative. (KEH)

Reports on student evaluation practices among 36 teachers in an Ontario (Canada) high school. Suggests that teachers may avoid ready-made evaluation instruments because of the multiple foci of their evaluations: student achievement, feedback to teachers on their own performance, and school policy about consistency in grading. (SV)

Examines the impact that public examinations of students has upon teaching. The four-year study raises questions about the current assumption that public examinations cause fact-transmission teaching. Uses timings of teacher and pupil talk to examine teaching on a range of different types of courses. (GEA)

Critics voice concern over the validity of multiple-choice tests and suggest alternatives which focus teaching more on thinking skills and less on rote learning. Essay tests are an authentic form of testing currently used from middle school through college. The article recommends training teachers in the area of testing. (SM)

Examines the concurrent validity of four metalinguistic awareness tests (Written Language Awareness Test, Test of Early Reading Ability, Linguistic Awareness in Reading Readiness Test, and the Concepts about Print Test). Finds rather low concurrent validity coefficients which suggests that further work is needed to clarify the operations required…

Discusses the content and cognitive specification of the third edition of the Test of Understanding in College Economics. Presents examples of the construction and sampling criteria employed in the latest and previous versions of the test. Explains that the test emphasizes recognition and understanding of basic terms, concepts, and principles with…

Assesses the accuracy of Riverside Community College's entry-level assessment and placement practice, correlating reading and language assessment scores with grades in freshman composition and student demographics. Concludes that ASSET test scores alone were not strong predictors of student success and other data sources should be considered as…

Describes holistic scoring as one of the biggest breakthroughs in writing assessment. Suggests that the technique's high interrater reliability coefficients partly explain holistic scoring's popularity. Argues that validity has been largely neglected. Concludes that more must be learned about the uses and effects of holistic scoring. (SG)