Two approaches to measurement for instructional decision making (specific subskill mastery measurement and general outcome measurement) are described and illustrated with case studies. The paper concludes that measuring general outcome indicators can bridge traditional and contemporary assessment paradigms to form an innovative approach to…

John Carroll's concept of mastery learning (ML) is described, and an ML model which can be used by directors of music-performing groups is presented. According to Carroll, any student, when given direction and time to follow that direction, can move along a time line from a state of inability to a state of ability. Tasks defined in behavioral…

A review of research and proposed models on classroom processes allows identification of four key characteristics of effective classrooms in elementary and secondary education. The four characteristics encompass (1) teacher attention to student characteristics, including prior learning and learning styles; (2) congruence among the course goals,…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which mastery testing contributes to instructional effectiveness and to determine the size of its effects in different outcome areas, such as aptitude and instructional time. A meta-analytic methodology was used to integrate findings from experimental studies. Twenty studies examined…

The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the problems and prospects of applying production function or input-output analysis to the process of schooling. The cognitive aspect of schooling is discussed here and is restricted to those aspects readily measured by achievement tests. It is argued that education production function studies should…