The placement of a child, especially a black child, in a class for mental retardation on the basis of a purely psychometric criterion cannot be tolerated. The use of a multi-dimensional assessment model is suggested, involving diagnosis in several areas of functioning: physiological, academic achievement, intellectual functioning, perceptual, and…

Examines the effects of principle of inference, relatedness of content, and mode of test presentation on the development of the conditional reasoning abilities of primary-grade children. (Author/SDH)

Ways in which elementary and junior high school teachers can use the My Class Inventory (MCI) to assess their students' views of classroom climate are discussed. The climate of a group is defined as the quality of the internal environment that persists over time and is experienced by members of the group. The short form of the MCI, which is…

These appendices to The Irish System of Teacher Education contain: (1) current syllabuses for english and mathematics at the higher and lower levels in the leaving certificate examination; (2) leaving certificate examination marking system; and (3) single honors english degree course syllabus and mathematics degree course syllabus. (JD)

Questions are addressed that focus on why lower class and minority group test takers score lower on standardized tests than their middle class Anglo counterparts. The questions include the following: (1) In what ways can dialect differences affect testing? (2) How can dialect differences directly affect a test of language? (3) Shouldn't standard…

This bulletin focuses on three developments related to evaluation. First, the plans and initial work of the Mathematical Sciences Education Board, formed in 1985, are described. The Board's goals, its view of the major challenges in mathematics education facing the nation's schools, and its plans are discussed. The development of a design for…

This brief review summarizes "What's Happening in Teacher Testing," a report from the U.S. Department of Education which provides information on teacher testing programs already in place. The report includes articles on testing and related areas, such as the history of teacher testing, legal considerations, and teacher supply and demand.…

Some aspects of the relationships among the symbolic representations (Rs) of problems given to students to solve, the Rs that students use to solve problems, and the accuracy of the solutions were studied. Focus was on determining: the mental Rs that students used while solving problems, the kinds of translation that takes place, the accuracy of…

This monograph explores many of the issues related to teacher assessment. In Section I, the criteria for teacher assessment and evaluation are discussed. An analysis is given of the issues involved in teacher assessment in the second section. Among the issues considered are the validity of research findings on teacher effectiveness, measurement…

This paper examines the academic task model used in the Managing Academic Tasks study as a potentially useful approach to some enduring problems or themes of research in science education: (1) effects of questioning and presentation strategies; (2) testing; (3) the role of laboratory activities; and (4) curriculum implementation and evaluation.…

The Certificate in Computer Programming (CCP) Examination is conducted by the Institute for Certification of Computer Professionals (ICCP) to identify qualified computer professionals in various spheres of computer technology. The CCP Examinations are focused on programming skills and are designed for recognition of competent senior-level…

There are currently three main approaches to parameter estimation in item response theory (IRT): (1) joint maximum likelihood, exemplified by LOGIST, yielding maximum likelihood estimates; (2) marginal maximum likelihood, exemplified by BILOG, yielding maximum likelihood estimates of item parameters (ability parameters can be estimated…

In this discussion of techniques for teaching and testing listening comprehension according to the Provisional Proficiency Guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, five questions are addressed: (1) the nature of the relationship between listening and speaking; (2) the kinds of listening tasks that should be…

The intent of this handbook is to illustrate the relation between teaching and testing and to demonstrate how they can promote student learning. The first section, "Foundations," offers a discussion of broad ideas about teaching, learning, and testing, and their interrelationships. Chapter one describes generally the kinds of things that…