The purpose of this study was to determine if the 55 test specifications for the Praxis I: Academic Skills Assessments computer-based tests (CBT) and the Praxis I: Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST) were judged to be appropriate for entry-level vocational education teachers regardless of specialty area. The test specification statements were…

This paper discusses recent developments in language testing. It begins with a review of the traditional criteria that are applied to all measurement and outlines recent emphases that derive from the expanding range of stakeholders. Drawing on Alderson's seminal work, criteria are presented for evaluating communicative language tests. Developments…

This document presents standards for educational accountability systems that represent models of practice derived from three perspectives: research knowledge, practical experience, and ethical considerations. These standards should be conceived of as targets for state and local systems and as criteria to judge proposed models of accountability…

Although there are many regions of the country that have historically been ethnically and linguistically diverse, school system data as well as information from the 2000 census and other sources has indicated that many hitherto homogeneous regions of the country and their educational institutions have experienced significant growth in populations…

The various costs of Type I and Type II errors of inference from data are discussed. Six methods for minimizing each error type are presented, which may be employed even after data collection for Type I and which minimizes Type II errors by a study design and analytical means combination. (Author/CM)

Scores on Kaufman's (1977) McCarthy short form and the McCarthy Screening Test (1978) were obtained for first graders (N=53). As follow-up nine months later, the Metropolitan Achievement Test was administered. Results showed Kaufman's short form scores usually indicated a smaller number of false negatives than did McCarthy Screening Test scores.…

A Dutch undergraduate course in professional counseling skills uses simulation to test students' ability to conduct an initial client interview, using standardized case histories. A study investigated the effectiveness of the method with 160 course participants, 77 non-participants, and 12 professional counselors and found it useful for…

Discussion of research methodology for evaluating the degree of standardization in multinational corporations' online communication strategies across differing cultures focuses on a research framework for cross-cultural comparison of corporate Web pages, applying traditional advertising content study techniques. Describes pre-tests that examined…

This article discusses problems in the psychological processing theory for learning disabilities assessment and describes the development and potential use of an interactive diagnostic system for testing students' processing skills for learning disabilities. (AEF)

Discusses platform unity, or aligning curriculum content with appropriate test types. Presents findings from a survey of 30 Virginia community college faculty, indicating that the faculty did not plan and test content congruently, tended to overtest content, and were effective but not efficient in test selection. (25 citations) (AJL)

This article summarizes concerns expressed at the SENCo-Forum about the stress that the Key Stage 1 Standard Assessment Tasks procedures place on children with special needs. Concerns include effects on student confidence, forcing teachers into roles that run counter to their educational ethos, and the time given to test preparation. (CR)

Discussion of problems in documenting student performance and progress focuses on middle-secondary subject matter, the state standards that are fundamental to most large-scale assessment systems, and curriculum text structures that limit the type of learning that can be documented. It suggests critical thinking measures as an alternative procedure…

This article highlights some of the defining characteristics of distance education courses and their impact on traditional assessment practices for instructors and students, including those with learning disabilities. Factors that instructors need to consider for dealing with test accommodations for students with learning disabilities are…

This article examines a process for teachers to use when deciding whether to adapt a text for a student. The following five options for text adaptations are described: bypass reading, decrease reading, support reading, organize reading, and guide reading. Adaptations for student work products and for tests are also addressed. (Contains…