Evidence-centered design (ECD) is an orientation towards assessment development. It differs from conventional practice in several ways and consists of multiple activities. Each of these activities results in a set of useful documentation: domain analysis, domain modeling, construction of the assessment framework, and assessment…

The foregoing articles constitute what I consider a comprehensive and clear description of the redesign process of a major assessment. The articles serve to illustrate the problems that will need to be addressed by large-scale assessments in the twenty-first century. Primary among them is how to organize the development of such assessments to meet…

The economic and employment outlook for individuals without a high school diploma is bleak. For many of these individuals, passing the General Educational Development (GED) Test is the first step in competing in the increasingly demanding job market. GED test-taking policies vary across test centers and jurisdictions, and have the potential to…

The cornerstone of evidence-centered assessment design (ECD) is an evidentiary argument that requires that each target of measurement (e.g., learning goal) for an assessment be expressed as a "claim" to be made about an examinee that is relevant to the specific purpose and audience(s) for the assessment. The "observable evidence" required to…

Evidence-centered assessment design (ECD) explicates a transparent evidentiary argument to warrant the inferences we make from student test performance. This article describes how the vehicles for gathering student evidence--task models and test specifications--are developed. Task models, which are the basis for item development, flow directly…

The External High School Diploma (EHSD) Program is a specially developed program to grant credits to urban adults for skills developed through life experiences. This District of Columbia program is designed to grant credit for life experiences and career-related skills by documenting the levels of knowledge and skills adults have attained by…

A project was conducted to develop a model for evaluating placement testing in the North Carolina System of Community Colleges. Researchers at Central Piedmont Community College conducted a longitudinal study of students' progress through the college curriculum as it related to placement test scores. The following numbers of students comprised the…

Evaluation of prior learning for the External Degree Program at Florida International University is described. Efforts in the following areas are presented: (1) implementation and evaluation of the competency-based assessment tool, (2) integration of the assessment process with other processes of the External Degree Program and the entire…

This document, prepared as a conference handout, consists of a description of the revised General Educational Development (GED) Tests scheduled for introduction in 1988 and a series of recommendations concerning the content of future GED tests, which were formulated by a committee appointed by the Commission on Educational Credit and Credentials…

New York State has provided an alternative in the high school equivalency program consisting of a thorough analysis of an individual's strengths and weaknesses in key academic skill areas essential to success in any formal postsecondary educational program followed by an individualized learning program designed to meet individual needs. This…

This handbook provides guidelines for organizing a math equivalency credit program and for establishing criteria for awarding math credit for math instruction given in a vocational program. The first two sections discuss the issue of awarding math credit for instruction obtained in the vocational classroom and how to use the guide. Addressed in…

Models for assessing prior learning or noncollege learning are discussed. The increasing variety of interests, ages, and levels of maturity among prospective college students requires that higher education institutions face the issue of granting credit for noncollege learning. It is suggested that the key issue for colleges and universities is how…

Instructional models and correlated learning passages are supplied in this teacher's handbook for teaching reading skills necessary for the student who wishes to participate in a High School Equivalency program. The divisions of the guide are: General Vocabulary Development--Outline; Interpreting Reading Material in Social Studies; Interpreting…

This guide is intended to train teachers in integrating math skills into the vocational curriculum. Included in the guide are process outlines, handouts, and transparency masters for three workshops designed to assist in the development and delivery of an integrated vocational education and math skills program. The first workshop, a 3- to 4-hour…