Assessment refers to a broad array of approaches for measuring or evaluating a person's (or group of persons') skills, behaviors, dispositions, or other attributes. Assessments range from standardized tests used in admissions, employee selection, licensure examinations, and domestic and international large-scale assessments of cognitive and…

Educational assessment and, more broadly, educational research in the United States have entered into an era characterized by a dramatic increase in the prevalence and importance of test score use in accountability systems. This volume covers a selection of contemporary issues about testing science and practice that impact the nation's public…

This Toolkit is a guide to assessing student achievement and making students partners in the educational enterprise by clearly defining expectations for performance and letting students in on them. It is essentially about performance-based instruction and the role of student assessment in guiding and invigorating practice. This volume, Volume I,…

A descriptive study was conducted to examine the current assessment practices of teachers in Ohio. The specific aim of the study was to gain an understanding of the extent to which teachers use traditional versus alternative forms of assessment techniques in their classrooms. Participants were 625 teachers from kindergarten through grade 12. The…

This issue presents examinations of educational testing, large-scale alternative assessment, small-scale alternative assessment, and educational measurement. These discussions go beyond technical issues to provide a conceptual perspective and a view of underlying histories, theories, applications, and the uncertainties associated with these…

Entries in this bibliography represent current holdings of the Test Center of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory in the area of alternative assessment ideas for science. Alternative refers to holdings on topics other than standardized, norm-referenced tests. The list emphasizes performance assessments, portfolios, and technological…

The chapters in this collection contribute to the debate about the value and usefulness of radically different kinds of assessments in the U.S. educational system by considering and expanding on the theoretical underpinnings of reports and speculation. The chapters are: (1) "Assessment Reform: Promises and Challenges" (Nidhi Khattri and…

Suggests that teachers can combine the use of portfolios and tests to evaluate student performance without having to choose between one approach or the other. Discusses techniques to make portfolios and tests more indicative of student performance and achievement. (MDM)

Parental attitudes about standardized tests and performance assessments were studied through interviews with 60 parents or parent dyads in schools involved in a project to develop new assessments and through questionnaires completed by parents from control schools. Parent approval of standardized tests did not imply disapproval of performance…

Few topics in education have generated as much interest as portfolios. To assist the many educators who are experimenting with this concept, the Test Center at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory has prepared this annotated bibliography of articles on portfolios in educational assessment. The articles (more than 240) are listed in…

This paper synthesizes information derived from five sources regarding issues in testing as they related to the American 2000; an education strategy and the national education goals. The focus is on proposed national tests. The issue of national testing extends far beyond testing itself because it touches on the structure of the U.S. educational…

Guidance is offered on the creation and use of alternative assessment; and a process model is presented that links assessment with curriculum and instruction, based on contemporary theories of learning and cognition. The introductory chapter, "Rethinking Assessment," provides background on the purposes of assessment and the need for new…

Guidance is offered in Spanish on the creation and use of alternative assessment, and a process model is presented that links assessment with curriculum and instruction, based on contemporary theories of learning and cognition. The introductory chapter provides background on the purposes of assessment and the need for new alternatives, with an…

Articles related to assessment in the field of reading are presented to provide ideas for those studying reading and reading assessment. There are two sections to the bibliography: the articles themselves and an index. Many of the entries describe informal assessments and are intended mainly for classroom use. The 124 articles are listed in…

Articles in this bibliography represent holdings of the Test Center of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory in the area of assessment alternatives in mathematics. Articles are included to stimulate thinking and provide new ideas. Some of the entries describe formal assessments, intended mainly for the classroom. The 134 annotations center…