Extensive graded reading (EGR) was carried out with a cohort of 600 engineering students in a university in northern Japan. Pre-and post-surveys were conducted to discover changes in the general reading habits of students, their attitudes toward the assessment method and how goals changed over the course of study. The first survey was carried out…

Considering the amount of funding that is distributed to educational research each year, leaders and policymakers have a vested interest in finding scientifically based evidence that answers causal questions regarding program effectiveness. The importance of program evaluation has long been recognized in many fields of research; however, the most…

Assessment is central in education and the teaching-learning process. This study attempts to explore the perspectives and views about quality assessment among teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), and to find ways of promoting quality assessment. Quantitative methodology was used to collect data. To answer the study questions, a…

This article reports on the implementation of diagnostic assessment in an advanced Spanish language program at the university level. Particular attention is given to the use of dynamic assessment practices as a way to assess language abilities, intervene in learning, and document learners' growth. Dynamic assessment is conceptually based on…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe how and why Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) has developed a system aiming to effectively place students in freshman and developmental English programs. The placement system includes: triangulating data from external test scores, with scores from a panel-marked hand-written essay (HWE),…

Presents an adaptable, context-sensitive model for ESL/EFL program evaluation, consisting of seven steps that guide an evaluator through consideration of relevant issues, information, and design elements. Examples from an evaluation of the Reading for Science and Technology Project at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico are given. (31…

This guide is intended to assist individual bilingual vocational training projects improve their approach to program evaluation. The guide presents an overall framework to be used by local project staff and evaluators to establish the scope of evaluation and give direction in meeting local evaluation needs. The guide does not provide a…

This participant's handbook for a workshop on selecting evaluation designs for bilingual programs presents group activities to facilitate learning about the selection process. The objectives of the workshop are to (1) identify the implied comparisons associated with frequently encountered evaluation questions, (2) select the most appropriate…

Presented in this report are the procedures, results, and recommendations of a study conducted in Fairfield, Connecticut in which high school students with FLES backgrounds were compared with non-FLES peers in terms of language skills and interest in foreign language study. A summary of findings on student interest in language study is presented…

This leader's manual for a workshop on planning bilingual student assessment describes the workshop, presents information necessary to provide instruction leading to workshop exercises, and provides step-by-step instructions for conducting the workshop. The workshop leader should become familiar with this manual as well as with the workshop text…

This participant's handbook is designed to be used in conjunction with a workshop for planning bilingual student assessment. The following materials are included: (1) simulation materials, including descriptions of simulated programs, tests, test manuals, and printouts; (2) checklists, diagrams, and charts illustrating important points of the…

The first in a planned series of three annual evaluations of an innovative French second language program in a Quebec (province) school district includes a brief program description, discussion of the evaluation methodology, and presentation of the results of the Spring, 1984 testing that is the focal point of the evaluation. The evaluation…

Beginning with three anecdotes that illustrate problems with current assessment practices in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL)/literacy programs, this paper reports a study that involved feedback from both programs and their funders. Literature is cited to show the opposing positions of proponents of standardized tests and those who search for…

Some empirical data are presented concerning the use of cloze tests to measure children's proficiency in a bilingual educational program. The subjects were grade five students in their sixth year of a primary French immersion program. (Author/CFM)

The 1981-82 Local/State Bilingual Program Technical Report addresses the evaluation questions of the Local/State Bilingual Program Evaluation Design. It is organized into six appendixes. Each appendix reports the information collected by a specific measure. Each appendix consists of (1) an instrument description, (2) purpose of the measure, (3)…