Because of misconceptions regarding appropriate measurement strategies, it is necessary to draw distinctions between two major measurement methodologies, norm-referenced and criterion-referenced measurement, as they relate to determining basic academic capabilities. Norm-referenced measures are used to ascertain an individual's performance in…

Despite their advantages over other assessment techniques, current achievement and ability tests are not especially efficient sources of information for the range of educational decisions for which they are used and relied upon. Two major types of tests, criterion-referenced and norm-referenced, and two types of use, student evaluation and program…

Effective assessment is crucial to outcome-based learning programs. One choice to be made in such programs is whether assessment of student learning should be carried out within course structures or external to them. Advantages to each approach are suggested. The overall recommendation is for external assessment. (Author/MLW)

A description of two proposals for alleviating the racial and ethnic bias in tests of achievement used in schools is presented. One of them entails adding steps to the construction procedures used in building norm referenced achievement tests; the second entails using criterion-referenced achievement tests rather than standardized tests for…

The Bureau of Indian Affairs Task Force on Testing has developed a testing policy to aid Native American students in securing quality education and to improve the quality of the Bureau's educational programs. The Task Force reached the conclusion that most if not all commercially available standardized or norm-referenced tests unfairly…

Results of an evaluation of the Colorado Bilingual Education Program are presented. Data contained in the Colorado Bilingual Education Unit's evaluation reports were analyzed to determine the extent to which the programs have been successful in 1977-78 in meeting the objectives of the Colorado Bilingual Bicultural Education Act. Assessment areas…

A discussion of student and program assessment in the context of Chinese language instruction looks at theory and methods of assessment, and proposes that norm-referenced language proficiency testing is inadequate to evaluate student achievement and program effectiveness. It is further proposed that criterion-referenced tests are more appropriate…

This paper highlights some special characteristics of criterion-referenced tests while comparing them with norm-referenced tests. Psychometric considerations involved in constructing a criterion-referenced test, including item analysis, reliability, and validity, are discussed, along with application of criterion-referenced testing to individual…

The National Assessment, a census-like study to collect information concerning the educational attainment of Americans, is being adapted in many states with the results of the adaptations being used for decision making by state agencies or by teachers and administrators. The characteristics of the adaptations follow patterns related to this…

This compendium of over 250 evaluation instruments in use by project sites throughout the U.S. is designed to assist bilingual/bicultural educators in locating, developing, or adapting evaluation instruments suitable to local assessment needs. The titles and descriptions of instruments listed are those provided by staff in bilingual/bicultural…

The Transitional Curriculum Program at Virginia State University, which is designed to develop underprepared, dependent learners into independent university students, is described. After distinguishing several types of underprepared learners, the following variables are considered: learner success, role of the instructor, and instructor…

This publication is one of a series designed to inform and assist those responsible for foreign language instruction, including teachers, administrators, supervisors, and those engaged in teacher education. The complete series serves as a curriculum guide. The format of the series is such that it can be revised so as to keep materials current.…

This book, which is intended for adult educators and human resource developers, presents guidelines for assessing adult learning. The following are among the topics covered in the book's eight chapters: (1) basic principles of informal assessment (relationship between learning and assessment activities; sequencing learning and assessment…