There is a growing interest in conceptualizing, defining, and assessing what are often called 21st century skills or deeper learning competencies. The purpose of this literature review is to explore the conceptualizations, definitions, and understandings in the research literature related to critical thinking. Key initial questions include: What…

Provides a broad perspective on results-based performance measurement (RBPM). It describes the reasons for its growing popularity in government and outlines several of the key elements and considerations that must be included in the implementation of the RBPM system in the public sector. (Author)

Reviews developments in educational assessment and in journals devoted to assessment during the editor's tenure with this journal, with a special focus on the place of performance assessment. Discusses the problem of generalizability in many new forms of assessment. (SLD)

This paper traces the origins of the portfolio movement, examines the treatment of portfolios in texts and other writings on classroom assessment, and poses several questions about the use of portfolios in classrooms. Interest in portfolios as assessment devices first emerged in the literature in the field of composition and writing, but interest…

As schools move toward performance assessment, there is increasing discussion of using these assessments for accountability purposes. When used for making decisions, performance assessments must meet high standards of validity and reliability. One major source of unreliability in performance assessments is interrater disagreement. In this paper,…

This publication presents a comprehensive overview of one of the most profound shifts in educational policy and practice that has occurred during the 20th century--the transition from a testing culture to an assessment culture--and discusses its implications for English language learners (ELLs). The document brings together a wide range of…

This paper provides an extensive literature review and recommendations for authentic assessment, and then provides recommendations for administrators in order to implement authentic assessment in elementary schools. A lack of comfort, with the way in which standardized tests seems to dictate what teachers teach as part of the curriculum, was a…

Authentic measurement has become an important topic recently in educational testing. Advocates of authentic measurement feel that objective tests, multiple-choice tests in particular, cannot meet the demands required of today's tests and should be replaced by tests that can be closely matched to instruction and can assess higher-order cognitive…

Since the late 1960s, curriculum and instruction have increasingly become "test driven." Research documents the negative effects of standardized testing on instruction, students, and teachers. At their best, tests reflect students' ability to take tests. Research supports the need for change in testing policies. Massive testing must be eliminated,…

A cursory examination of current measurement texts used in teacher education reveals a treatment of such topics as test reliability, item analysis, and test interpretation based largely upon classical test theory. In the meantime, the landscape of the classroom has been significantly impacted by a growing emphasis on more authentic assessment…

This paper synthesizes information derived from five sources regarding issues in testing as they related to the American 2000; an education strategy and the national education goals. The focus is on proposed national tests. The issue of national testing extends far beyond testing itself because it touches on the structure of the U.S. educational…

Problems with performance assessment (PA) and multiple-choice tests (MCTs) are outlined, with reference to the literature on accountability. PA for individual teachers who should integrate their assessments with their instruction; PA as a supplement to more traditional examinations for licensure decisions; and some limited, experimental tryouts of…

Six documents were reviewed and recommendations relevant to the work of the Advisory Committee on Testing in Chapter 1 were summarized. A brief description of a framework for discussing different uses of assessment is followed by specific recommendations from each of the following sources: (1) "Working Paper: Reauthorization of the…

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…

This review analyzes traditional standardized assessment practices to determine if they recognize cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, and disability differences. It then examines the extent to which these assessment practices are being used in transition for decision-making and predicting post-school outcomes. The review begins with a historical…