Testing students on information that they do not know might seem like a fruitless endeavor. After all, why give anyone a test that they are guaranteed to fail because they have not yet learned the material? Remarkably, a growing body of research indicates that such testing--formally known as "prequestioning" or…

Finding ways to improve student success in calculus is a critically important step on the path to supporting students who are pursuing degrees in STEM fields. Far too many students fail calculus 1 and are pushed to drop their majors in technical fields. One way of addressing this issue is by following a program that was pioneered at University of…

This article is based on the author's experiences as a second-year teacher at a small private school teaching all sections of Geometry and Algebra 2. Working with the same students in both courses, the author was aware of each one's levels of retention and execution of Algebra 1 concepts before the beginning of the year. The author often noticed…

Interim assessments are increasingly common in U.S. schools. We use high-quality data from a large-scale school-level cluster randomized experiment to examine the impact of two well-known commercial interim assessment programs on mathematics and reading achievement in Indiana. Results indicate that the treatment effects are positive but not…

Colleges and universities are increasingly being held accountable for assessing and reporting student learning. Recently there has been increased focus on using assessment to improve learning over time. In this paper we present a simple, step-by-step assessment process that will deliver meaningful results to achieve these ends. We emphasize the…

This paper addresses the use of computer-based testing in distance education, based on the experience of Universitas Terbuka (UT), Indonesia. Computer-based testing has been developed at UT for reasons of meeting the specific needs of distance students as the following: (1) students' inability to sit for the scheduled test; (2) conflicting test…

We investigated the use of quizzes administered prior to lecture (i.e., prelecture quizzes) and compared them to no-quiz control groups. In previous research, the success of administering quizzes after covering a topic (i.e., postlecture quizzes) was contingent on the quizzes and the subsequent exams being of similar level and content. However,…

Provides study skills, reading efficiency, and reading effectiveness tests designed to show the student that his reading is actually improving. (RW)

Examines two common errors in evaluation and ways to circumvent them. The first error is faulty pretesting or diagnostic evaluation. The second is failure to monitor student progress and plan instruction in relation to the specified learning goals. (SJL)

Although students quickly form reasonably lasting judgments of their instructors and courses they are also able to alter their judgments as warranted by changing situations. These findings appear to provide support for the validity of student evaluations. (Author/RC)

A rating scale was developed for the evaluation of behaviors and skills required of medical students. From 400 items based on various role-defining studies, 92 were selected. The project staff randomly assigned 46 items to each of two alternate forms. Seven medical schools were identified as sites for pilot testing. Medical students who agreed to…

This document contains instructions for administering the American Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation Newspaper Test, scoring the test, and interpreting the scores. It also includes a description of the nature of the test, each form of the ANPA Foundation Newspaper Test having 30 four-choice questions on the meaning and implications of…

A CRUCIAL ASPECT OF TEACHER ACTIVITY UNDER INDIVIDUALLY PRESCRIBED INSTRUCTION (IPI) IN MATHEMATICS IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUALIZED LESSON PLANS OR PRESCRIPTIONS. THE QUALITY OF THESE PRESCRIPTIONS IS A MAJOR DETERMINANT OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH INSTRUCTION IS ACTUALLY INDIVIDUALIZED AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH EACH PUPIL IS PERMITTED TO PROGRESS…

An overall analysis is made of the impact of Grade 3 Title I reading programs in the State of Michigan. An attempt is made to estimate the effectiveness of particular reading programs for low-scoring, middle-scoring, and high-scoring pupils for the purpose of identifying exemplary programs. In addition, a rank ordering of the various programs…