In this paper, the author reviews a number of criticisms that have been made of the use of standardized tests in the social studies and reviews 11 general, skills, and discipline-oriented standardized tests for social studies. Standardized tests evaluating the results of the new social studies courses are open to criticism on the basis of…

The purpose of this study was to develop a test that could be used both to diagnose student writing needs and to evaluate the effects of classroom teaching on the abilities of secondary school-junior college students to write expositorily. Data analysis was organized to indicate the extent to which a carefully designed objective test could validly…

All measures presently available for first, third, fifth, and sixth grade testing were evaluated according to the MEAN procedure which reflects measurement validity, examinee appropriateness, administrative usability, and normed technical excellence. Major shortcomings of these measures are presented. A factor analysis revealed four dimensions…

This paper examines the development and evaluation of criterion-referenced measures, and elaborates on the distinction between them and norm-referenced measures. The concept of sensitivity is introduced as an appropriate method for evaluating such measures, and a sensitivity index is proposed. The traditional model for the response of a subject to…

The purpose of this paper is to review the theoretical and empirical literature relevant to language performance assessment. Following a definition of performance assessment, this paper considers: (1) theoretical assumptions underlying performance assessment; (2) purposes of performance assessment; (3) performance assessment procedures; (4) merits…

This study compared college students' responses on their evaluations of the effectiveness of full- and part-time college faculty. A group of 1,101 students completed evaluation instruments for all courses taught by full-time faculty, and 2,067 students completed evaluations for all courses taught by part-time faculty in spring 1998. In fall 1998,…

Discusses four ways in which clinical diagnosis can be detrimental to minority clients: (1) cultural expressions of symptomatology; (2) unreliable research instruments; (3) clinician bias; and (4) institutional racism. Recommendations to avoid misdiagnosis begin with accurate assessment of a client's history and cultural background. (SLD)

A study examined the efficacy of the Restricted Academic Task in evaluating the effects of stimulant medication in 149 children (ages 5-17) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The measure consists of standardized observation of a child performing an academic-like task, and was found to be both reliable and valid. (Author/CR)

Validity evidence was determined for an instrument used at a state university to measure student perception of the institutionally stressed importance of various professional traits and his/her performance of these traits. Subjects were 87 preservice teachers at the end of student teaching. Scores from the institutionally stressed importance…

The Levels of Computer Use assessment (LCU) was developed to classify teachers' use of computers so that variations of use could be studied. The LCU was derived from the model of Instructional Transformation of L. P. Rieber and P. W. Welliver. The model describes the process of the adoption of innovation, focusing on the adoption of the computer…

A review of the recent literature has yielded a number of concerns about the validity, reliability, cost, efficiency, generalizability, utility, and cultural sensitivity of performance based assessments. The resulting conclusion was that continuing the performance based assessment initiative should be rethought. Suggested alternatives included…

A study was conducted that was designed to determine if experienced ESL (English as a second language) teachers, working in pairs, can reach the same judgments regarding the oral proficiency of non-native speakers of English and to determine the reliability of such judgments. In addition, the question of whether different sets of judges rate…

Four systems for scoring student essays were used to classify eleventh grade and undergraduate students according to writing ability. The reliabilities of the raters and the validities of the systems in classifying students were emphasized. Two analytic scoring systems--which assume that quality writing is characterized by the inclusion of certain…

The Naturalistic Evaluation Methodology presented here rests on a transactionist theory of child development, an ecological view of human behavior and the quasi-clinical method of inquiry. It is intended that the procedures will lead not only to the improvement of the quality of preschool education but will generate knowledge about children's…

This pilot study attempted to develop systematic scientific procedures for the study of improvisational drama with children, especially ways of assessing what the typical creative drama teacher does with children, what children do when they are acting, and what effects this might have on the rest of their educational development. Specific…