The purpose of this paper is to provide information and insight into how state assessment programs are governed, how individual state and state-consortium assessment programs actually operate, and how key policy and technical decisions on these programs are made. To address these issues, this paper is divided into three sections: First, the New…

Items on test score scales located at and below the Proficient cut score define the content area knowledge and skills required to achieve proficiency. Alternately, examinees who perform at the Proficient level on a test can be expected to be able to demonstrate that they have mastered most of the knowledge and skills represented by the items at…

The New York State Regents Competency Tests in Writing and Comprehensive Examination in English reflect the belief that the current emphasis on test results mandates that testmakers produce tests that actually test what they purport to test, reflect what educators agree should be taught, and have a beneficial influence on teaching. Prior to the…

Examines the purposes of large-scale assessment programs, outlines the dangers and benefits of these assessments, considers the research evidence about the consequences of assessment, discusses how to evaluate assessment quality, and presents some ideas about the variables that influence the probabilities for good and bad assessment. (SLD)

Reports on an ongoing evaluation of the Vermont portfolio assessment program. Indicates that the positive news about the instructional effects of the assessment program are in contrast with the empirical findings about the quality of the data the program has yielded. (SLD)

In the Louisiana Basic Skills Testing (BST) program, initiated in 1982, criterion-referenced tests of language arts and mathematics were administered to all second grade students. Longitudinal data over three years tracked four cohorts of students to address when retention appears to be most effective and whether a combination of repeated…

This report is designed to provide New Jersey Congressional legislators with current information on the effectiveness of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (ECIA) Chapter 1 Program in New Jersey. Data on the reading and mathematics performance of ECIA Chapter 1 students in grades 2 through 8 from participating districts were…

This report presents findings from the evaluation of the second year of the professional services agreement between the Detroit, Michigan, Public Schools and Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. Under a contract with the school system, Sylvan attempted to improve the reading achievement of low-achieving students in 10 Title 1 schools. The program…

This report is an evaluation of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) done by an external advisory panel. Panelists were selected in terms of availability and complementary skills. The program was evaluated by the Shepard method which consists of a checklist grouped into the areas of goals and purposes, technical aspects, management,…

The effect of a basic competency education program on the achievement of high, average, and low-achieving students was examined for the Alabama Basic Competency Education program (BCE). California Achievement Tests scores in reading, mathematics, and language were examined for 3 years prior to initiation of the BCE program and for 3 years…

One of a series of studies examining Louisiana's compensatory education program, this study investigated four assumptions upon which a skill-specific intervention program was based. Framed as questions, these assumptions are: (1) Is retention effective for students who do not know basic content for a given grade level? (2) When is retention most…

The Texas Examination of Current Administrators and Teachers (TECAT), is a basic literacy test that was administered to 202,000 practicing educators in March 1986. The test was developed in response to state action for educational reform. The Texas reform legislation provided for redistribution of resources to poorer schools and for salary…

The achievement of more adequate vocational guidance services in the nation's schools through the improvement of state supervisory service, was the major objective of the seminar. In additon to 72 state guidance supervisory staff members from 47 states, seminar participants and leadership personnel included 14 counselor educators, 12 state-level…

The study reports achievement data over four school years (1978-82) from standardized tests administered to approximately one million students per year in the state of Indiana. The reports show the percent of students performing in each of three bands of stanines--1,2,3; 4,5,6; 7,8,9. Representative grades from primary, intermediate,…

This guide, designed to help school staff members evaluate their testing programs, may apply to district-wide or state-wide programs. The four sections contain: forms to be completed of current testing inventory; a form covering the organizational and administrative details of the local testing program; an evaluation form dealing with the…