Notes that, beginning in the mid-1970s, role of educational testing and assessment began to expand dramatically in response to reports portraying U.S. schools and students in less than favorable light. Sees the future status of new forms of assessment that are used to influence curricula and motivate teachers and students being related to their…

Examines proposals to establish national test/testing system as administrative, policy mechanism to foster good teaching and learning, monitor student progress, help in college admission and employment decisions, and monitor progress toward national goals. Notes that history of testing as administrative mechanism suggests that linking of important…

Introduces special journal issue on policy-driven assessment in elementary and secondary schools by highlighting themes in the 13 articles in the issue and by posing questions related to new policies and testing practices that are being implemented in the schools. Also presents conjectures about state and national testing programs. (NB)

Examines some of the policy implications for the proposed assessment systems to replace multiple-choice tests in education as part of educational reform movement. Notes that, like multiple-choice formats, the origins and assumptions of performance assessment methods have implications for the usefulness of the data that result. (Author/NB)

Contends that, although national system of testing is neither efficient nor valid as means of inspiring educational reform, certain principles can lead to effective uses of assessment at local and state levels. Suggests nine guidelines for school district staff, State Department of Education personnel, and policymakers to follow in comprehensively…

The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP), implemented in 1989, requires student assessment in reading, writing, and math prior to regular college course work. Students undergo continuous remediation until they are able to pass the assessment test. Though TASP advocates argue that the program helps maintain academic standards and provides students…

Examination results were compared among pupils at three schools with different provision policies for the 16+ examinations. Results at both 16+ and "A" level confirm previous findings that intelligence and social background relate significantly to examination performance. The school policy variations were also found to significantly…

Because of the perceived lack of youth physical fitness and/or concerns for increased obesity, physical education teachers are interested in youth fitness and physical activity levels. Statewide mandates are being developed that require school-based teachers to complete physical fitness testing. Data from the nationally representative School…

Seven schools that have re-evaluated their needs for standardized college admissions examinations were studied to explore their admissions and innovative testing policies. The schools include: (1) Bates College in Lewiston, Maine; (2) Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine; (3) Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in Cambridge,…

Security procedures for the New Jersey High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) are discussed and evaluated. All New Jersey high school students are required to pass the HSPT, which was administered for the first time in 1984. Generally, security plans are designed to limit access to test questions prior to test administration and to prevent…

Reports findings from a national survey of 1,269 representative colleges and universities, concerning institutional perceptions of the basic skills preparation of entering freshmen, the extent of students' needs for basic skills help at various types of institutions, and the ways in which institutions are responding to student needs. (AYC)

A survey was conducted by the Learning Assessment Retention Consortium of the California Community Colleges to determine the extent of community college involvement with academic standards in California. The survey investigated the relationship of the colleges to adult education, assessment practices, entrance standards for vocational and…

"What You Need to Know About Starting a Student Drug-Testing Program" is meant to Complement, and build on information provided in an earlier publication, "What You Need to Know about Drug Testing in Schools." This booklet assumes that you as a school, administrator, staff member, or parent involved in the decision have considered all the…

In 1986, a study of remedial programs in Texas community colleges was conducted to determine the range of current practices and to assess the outcomes achieved. Each campus was sent a detailed self-study guide focusing on policies and practices related to assessment and placement, descriptive and evaluative information, policies related to course…

The current status of teacher testing practices and materials in the public schools of the District of Columbia was evaluated. This document reports the findings and recommendations of eight professionals who convened in Washington, D.C., on November 17-19, 1987. These consultants, via interviews with practitioners, found a high degree of…