Procedures enabling teachers to diagnose and analyze a child's ability to understand and memorize basic facts are described. (JT)

Describes the instructional materials and features that distinguish the Chicago model of mastery learning instruction from other models of mastery learning. Also describes innovative ways to examine the effects of mastery learning instruction, given that school data often are limited to norm referenced tests and are lacking in controls. (Author/GC)

Sample guides for both holistic and analytic scoring of elementary school students' writing samples were written by the California State Department of Education. This article describes how the guides were developed and validated and explains complementary uses for the two types of scoring. (PP)

The Benton Visual Retention Test which is designed to assess visual perceptual, visual motor, and visuoconstructive abilities can give school personnel greater precision and range in testing. The standardization of this instrument was tested on 700 Houston elementary school students. Chronological age differences were maintained and correlation…

The preparation and use of an objective strength analysis report (OSAR) from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) are described. The OSAR was designed to answer two needs: (1) a format which allows the school to easily answer the question "which reading objectives need more emphasis and/or better materials or techniques in order to raise its…

Argues that teachers should be encouraged to use not just pencil-and-paper tests but also observations, interviews, and even students' journals to gather information on which to base their evaluations. (PK)

To determine what pedagogical uses the primary trait system might serve apart from providing a means to assess students' writing, data were collected from 11 elementary and junior high school teachers who had participated in an earlier week-long workshop on primary trait scoring. Participating teachers were asked to complete a log of their…

The Alaska Statewide Assessment Test is administered to fourth and eighth graders every two years in reading and mathematics. Assessment Report 7 describes how the assessment process works, analyzing results, test content, results for 1983, and statewide average scores. A question-answer format is used to discuss the following: (1) Was students'…

The Harris Index of Efficiency was used to evaluate the criterion setting (66%) of the Prescriptive Reading Inventory (PRI), a criterion referenced reading test. The subjects, who were involved in a larger experimental study that used the PRI as a criterion measure, were 92 third and fifth grade students. Initial assessment with the Comprehensive…

This study of curriculum-based assessment of the reading ability of four elementary-level students with learning disabilities found that individual-referenced tests are powerful for understanding instructional effects, whereas norm-referenced tests are best suited for determining deployment and allocation of resources. (DB)

The Alaska Statewide Assessment Test (ASAT) in reading and math is administered to fourth and eighth graders every two years. This document contains three separate assessment reports generally titled "An Update on the Alaska Statewide Testing Program." Assessment Report 8, "The Interpretive Panels Look at Results," lists…

Information regarding the various publishers' priorities and data to support the supposition that the test publishers do differ in their priorities as reflected in their test characteristics, are presented. Evaluation ratings available for 1,600 published scales appropriate for grades 1, 3, 5, and 6 were from 39 publishers and distributers. A…

Results of a 1987 report indicating that elementary students of all states were above the national average are assessed. Issues addressed include teaching for standardized tests, the effect of teaching on national norms, and alternatives available to protect the integrity of instruction and the validity of normed test scores. (TJH)

This report presents the evaluation results of the 1979-80 Title I program in grades one, two, three and seven in the District of Columbia Public School system. Part One describes program objectives and services and the evaluation design and procedures. A description of the population served by Title I is included in Part Two. Achievement gains in…

An experiment was performed to evaluate the tenability of the assumption in the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I proposed variance estimation procedures for criterion referenced tests. The assumption is that the ratio of the local to the national standard deviation for the national sample will be the same for the normed test as…