Describes procedures implemented by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for the development of national versions of the assessment instruments in all instruction languages used in the participating countries. Presents data that provide empirical information on the effectiveness of these procedures. (VWL)

Ethical career assessment of female clients requires global gender sensitivity as well as knowledge of gender issues in the areas of individual differences and career choice process. Whether quantitative or qualitative, informal or formal, assessments and interpretations should be gender sensitive for both men and women. (Contains 79 references.)…

Introduces a framework for systematizing the design of language performance assessments and explicating the role of tasks within them. Their design outlines fundamental components that must be rationalized and operationalized in order for performance assessment to produce coherent evidence of examinees' abilities. (Author/VWL)

This article addresses the health-related physical fitness assessment of K-two children by providing the elementary physical education specialist with strategies for planning and organizing an educational, positive, and efficient testing environment. (IAH)

A court decision that a pioneering New York law illegally preempted federal law by forcing publication of standardized test material protected by federal copyright could undermine greater disclosure in standardized testing, but quick changes in testing practice are not expected. (MSE)

Explores the two major pieces of federal legislation that make up the foundation for a national testing initiative: Goals 2000 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Discusses the content of each of the legislative initiatives, how they interrelate, and who supports them. Suggests that the national testing movement has metamorphosed into…

This simulation study considered the effects on statistical measures of test dimensionality that result from systematic sampling variation in both a single- and a double-trait assessment model. Results suggest that there are distinct psychological and psychometric states of test dimensionality, and that psychometric unidimensionality may be…

The results of testing 14 hearing children who learned American Sign Language as preschoolers show that these bimodal, bilingual youngsters achieve significantly higher scores than average on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and suggest knowing a sign language may have a positive influence on a hearing child's acquisition of English. (11…

Suggests reasons for the lack of change in biochemistry courses and proposes mechanisms to enhance change. Advocates a problem-solving approach using nontraditional questions on examinations. Provides examples of how traditional questions can be rewritten to reflect a problem-solving approach. (PR)

Authors propose a simple and inexpensive activity to provide an exciting source of information about biological processes that occur during eutrophication of lakes and ponds. The observations and interpretations that take place during the eutrophication of the Windogradsky water column constitutes an illustrative approach for understanding…

This study examines whether readers of German can identify correctly the coreferents of anaphoric expressions in a German text and whether this ability is related to their overall comprehension of the text and their baseline German language ability. Findings reveal a positive relationship between the ability to resolve anaphoric references and…

Presents an autobiographical narrative on the importance of teachers and testing and on how the ways in which they teach can affect a child's life sometime in the distant future. (SR)

Provides evidence that automatic lexical priming is a product of an informationally specific lexical level network. An alternative account appealing to retrospective but automatic semantic integration processes is discussed.(52 references) (JL)

Radon is a natural, chemically inert, radioactive gas that can seep to the surface from underground rocks. As many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year may be radon-caused. Screening a school for radon is not difficult and may be done on weekends. It's safer for students and staff to test and be sure. (MLH)

Describes how one English teacher developed a replacement for the traditional literature exam: student exhibitions. Defines these exhibitions as student presentations over course material in which expertise and close reading are demonstrated. Advocates allowing students the opportunity to teach class materials. (HB)