Although there have been any number of national reading reform efforts over the years, there is little evidence that such efforts have been sustained in schools over time. This study focused on addressing 2 questions: To what extent have Reading First schools in 2 states sustained the key elements of this reform over time? To what extent has…

The current status of state testing programs is assessed drawing primarily on information provided by the Educational Testing Service publication, "State Testing Programs, 1973 Revision." Increases in state operated programs are indicated and are probably due to an increase in federal money for testing purposes. Because of possible…

Information on the achievement of students in Southern States is presented, based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). State profiles are presented for 12 Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states, plus Maryland and Texas. A 1984-1985 SREB pilot project with the National Assessment of Educational Progress is also…

This special issue of "Catalyst", entitled Testing Programs in Schools: What's New?, was published jointly by the Nebraska Council of School Administrators and the Nebraska Association for Supervision and Curriculum. The articles emphasize desirability of designing testing programs to meet the information needs of educators and the…

The New England Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Guidance (NEAMEG) Conference on Measurement in Education was designed to (1) provide a forum for the examination and discussion of vital issues related to measurement and evaluation; (2) facilitate communication among educators from various disciplines and levels of education within the…

Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics, and Ecology assessment instruments were administered to approximately 1,800 nine year old and 1,800 seventeen year old Massachusetts students. The 9 year old students exceeded the performance of a national and international sampling of students. They equaled the performance of a sampling of students from…

A survey to gather information concerning school district testing programs in Pennsylvania is reviewed. The information concerns the commercially produced norm referenced and criterion referenced achievement tests, as well as locally produced achievement tests used in the state's school districts. The Pennsylvania Division of Educational Testing…

This document describes the background, methodology, and results of the Massachusetts educational assessment program for social studies and citizenship skills. The program, which was conducted during 1975-76, sampled knowledge and attitudes of 9- and 17-year-olds throughout the state on specific educational objectives. Criterion-referenced tests…

A criterion-referenced measurement and diagnostic system for career education was developed using 79 of the 177 basic learner outcomes identified in Texas. Approximately 500 test items, referenced to the outcomes, were developed and submitted for student and professional review and statistical analyses following item tryouts and field testing of…

The study reports the results of a survey of 2,292 13-year olds and 2,173 17-year olds, in Connecticut, using a criterion-referenced assessment instrument designed to test 15 content domains (job satisfaction; occupational levels, fields, and emphasis; occupational trends; occupational levels and education; leisure time; job…

The perceived needs of public school personnel in Wyoming with respect to the development and use of criterion-referenced tests (CRTs) as part of a district-wide testing program were assessed using a survey designed for the study. Questionnaires were sent to all superintendents, assistant superintendents, and curriculum directors in the state. Of…

In September 1977 a reading and language arts test, based upon 40 objectives slated for student accomplishment by the end of grade four, was administered to all Delaware fourth graders. This test, the Objective-Referenced Measure in Communications, was intended to provide entry level diagnostic information to classroom teachers and to inform…

The effect of alternating criterion-referenced tests (CRTs) with norm-referenced tests (NRTs) when evaluating schools was studied in a sample of 242 Louisiana public elementary schools accounting for over 18,000 third graders tested in 1989. The study used five separate multiple regression models, each producing studentized residuals used as…

Results of a survey using a criterion referenced test of reading comprehension for a large sample of sixth and eleventh grade students throughout Texas are reported in detail. Details of the sampling design and of the test development are reported elsewhere. Results are reported in terms of the percent of students correctly answering three out of…

An overview and summary are presented of the implementation of the Connecticut Mastery Test for grade 4. The testing program assesses essential skills in mathematics and language arts including listening, reading, and writing for students in grades 4, 6, and 8. The criterion-referenced mastery test assesses how well each student is performing on…