The measurement and evaluation component may be the least understood and most abused part of the typical physical education class. A 1986 study of 1,396 physical educators revealed that less than half used skills tests and written examinations. Ways of improving student evaluation are discussed. (MT)

Asserts that some student products, performances, and skills are not suited to evaluation using paper-and-pencil tests. Describes three alternative methods for evaluating student achievement using rating scales, checklists, and anecdotal records. (PGD)

Offers some proven design tips, tools, and criteria for fashioning assessment tasks that are more enticing, feasible, and defensible. Typical tests tend to overassess student "knowledge" and underassess student "know-how with knowledge." Test designers should create authentic simulations rich in contextual detail, devise meaningful tasks, and…

Describes a comprehensive assessment plan designed by the Kitsap (Washington) School District. This plan clarifies district assessment purposes and aligns student evaluation with the district's new performance-based content standards. The test provides a model for other districts seeking to integrate curriculum standards, instruction, and…

Instead of being devices for measuring what students have learned, tests should be instructional--the central vehicle for clarifying and setting intellectual standards. To regain control over testing and instruction, schools need to rethink their diploma requirements and grading systems. Then school transcripts will become trustworthy again.…

This document summarizes the work of participants in California's Towards Arts Assessment Project (TAAP). The project participants worked on developing guidelines and plans for arts assessments. The document includes the TAAP participants' performance assessments as illustrations and as guidelines for continuing a dialogue in the feasibility and…

Students generally do better on outcome-based performance tasks than on domain-specific tasks. Results on performance tasks must be interpreted in the context of instruction or guidance provided before or during their administration. Reliability is sometimes questionable, since teachers are highly influenced by students' overall academic…

Achievement testing in nontraditional curriculum areas (such as industrial arts, physical education, or music) provides an ideal opportunity for developing students' self-evaluation skills. While applying testing procedures, teachers demonstrate what skills deserve evaluation and how to evaluate them. This article describes objective approaches to…

In developing criterion-referenced reading tests, staff in a Skokie (Illinois) school district answered parents' concerns about accountability, participated in a valuable inservice learning experience, and achieved coordination between elementary and junior high programs. (Author/WD)

Each year the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) tests all 4th, 7th, and 10th grade students in reading and mathematics and one or more subject areas. Because MEAP has lost funding for test development, experienced assessment staff and a volunteer team of local educators and college and university specialists develop, administer, and…

Reviews present difficulties in the way that states report the participation of students with disabilities in their testing programs. Recommendations for policymakers include the following: identify students with disabilities in statewide assessment programs, standardize procedures for calculating participation rates, and improve lines of…

Use of portfolios and performance tasks has exponentially increased as educators seek to be as "fair" as possible, and to link measurement, assessment, and evaluation more closely to cognition, curriculum, and instruction. However, high standards of reliability and validity are equally essential in the use of "authentic"…

This speech presents instructional evaluation techniques currently used in Belleville, Illinois. These are based on two criteria: (1) community opinion, and (2) performance level of students. To discover community opinions, needs, priorities, and levels of support, questionnaires are distributed, presenting a series of curricular goals and…

The Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM) and the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) were evaluated as possible instruments for identifying academically talented students in minority populations. A significantly higher proportion of minority children scored well on the RPM than on a traditional measure. Issues and concerns about using the…

Asserts that evaluating cooperative learning experiences is both traditional in the tools used and innovative in the way the results benefit students and teachers. Provides suggestions for encouraging interdependence, grading group projects, and evaluating both academic achievement and group process skills. (CFR)