Results from new state tests in Kentucky--the first in the nation explicitly tied to the Common Core State Standards--show that the share of students scoring "proficient" or better in reading and math dropped by roughly a third or more in both elementary and middle school the first year the tests were given. Kentucky in 2010 was the…

This paper presents a list of frequently asked questions about the 5th Edition GED (General Educational Development) Test. This paper answers the following questions: (1) With the announcement of altered plans for a 5th Edition GED Test release, will the current 2002 test series continue beyond January 1, 2012?; (2) What should I tell the public,…

The present study, designed as a pilot study to provide an empirical basis for modifying the PEP testing program, investigated the possibility that teachers could accurately evaluate learning progress without formal testing. (Author)

Reports on a statewide pilot project which compared testing using paper-and-pencil and Internet-delivered test items. Participants were students from 14 Pennsylvania vocational-technical institutions. Describes the structured use, what teachers should know and insight from the project. Demonstrates that the Internet offers a viable cost-effective…

The two articles in this special section discuss the use of portfolios in large-scale assessment. Both describe pilot studies of portfolio assessment, pointing out pitfalls and advantages. If portfolios are to realize their potential in assessment and instructional improvement, teachers, students, and the public must receive better information…

The effects of students taking different levels of the same standardized achievement test were assessed by administering two levels of the same test to each student. The functional level of the test was taken by all students. The second level of testing was randomly assigned at the adjacent higher or lower level of the test. Functional level…

Twenty-five sophomore students recommended by their school principal or counselor participated in a pilot educational program designed to be appropriate to the interests and needs of potential high school male dropouts. Test scores, inventories, student records, office files, and employment analyses of the participants were examined to determine…

A pilot study was undertaken to develop appropriate writing samples for assessment of composing tasks, to examine the utility and time requirements of scoring keys, particularly regarding their consistency and objectivity, and to study the efficacy of scoring guides. Five classes from second to sixth grade in a school in the Los Angeles Unified…

A project in Dodge County, Nebraska, from July 1, 1969, to June 30, 1970, used Mobile Units Supplementing Education (MUSE) under an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title III grant. The primary objective of the pilot project and the operational grant was to demonstrate and explore the possibilities of bringing special and supplemental units…

An analytic framework is presented for examining the properties and objectives of assessments and scoring systems piloted in a number of state and district testing programs. The article explores the application of this framework, which considers the cognitive components of competence described in studies of expertise, to the analysis of science…

THE 1ST YEAR OF OPERATION OF THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR LEARNING AND RE-EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN WAS REVIEWED. BASIC RESEARCH IN CONCEPT LEARNING WAS CONDUCTED BY MEANS OF LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS AND COMPUTER SIMULATION. CONCEPT LEARNING IN THE SUBJECT AREAS OF MATHEMATICS, ENGLISH COMPOSITION, SCIENCE, SPEECH, AND…

This report provides a comparative cost analysis of three different methods of developing final examinations for secondary schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland. Based on expenditure reports and interviews with central and school-based staff, cost estimates were developed for three kinds of exams: (1) the county-wide final…

The Toronto Board of Education Benchmarks are libraries of reference materials that demonstrate student achievement at various levels. Each library contains video benchmarks, print benchmarks, a staff handbook, and summary and introductory documents. This book is about the development and the history of the benchmark program. It has taken over 3…

A COMPLETE REVIEW OF AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GUIDANCE PILOT PROJECT IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, WAS PRESENTED. TWO CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN INTEGRATED, DISADVANTAGED AREAS WERE SELECTED. PREPLANNING OF THE DUTIES OF THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR, GOALS OF THE PILOT PROGRAMS, AND EDUCATION OF TEACHERS AND COMMUNITY WERE COMPLETED. GUIDELINES ON ANECDOTAL RECORD…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) of the National Center for Education Statistics offers the most comprehensive picture available of elementary and secondary schools in the United States. The value of the SASS would be even greater if information on districts and schools could be related directly to student outcomes. A relatively inexpensive…