The author, as a testing consultant, has considered and answered 16 questions on the various aspects of testing usually asked by school staff members. The questions and answers are primarily concerned with statistical aspects of achievement tests and the best way to interpret test results to clients, parents and teachers. The need for caution in…

Proceedings of the first meeting of the State Advisory Committee for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Quality Education Assessment are provided. The proceedings are comprised of the following: Superintendent's Message; Charge to the Committee; The Plan for Assessing Educational Quality in Pennsylvania; What Will Quality Education Assessment Measure?;…

A comprehensive student basic skills assessment program was developed at St. Louis Community College (SLCC) at Florissant Valley to appraise student readiness to take courses, gather information for counseling and advising, diagnose student problems, and evaluate program efficiency and effectiveness. The steps taken in developing the program were:…

Discusses a project demonstrating that standardized tests can be developed in vocational agriculture under certain conditions to serve a wide geographical area and a diversified agriculture. (HD)

To ensure that educational tests do the least harm and bring the greatest good to the education of elementary and secondary school students, it is important that parents, teachers, educational administrators, and policy makers be actively involved in test construction and use. The purpose of this Statement is to provide a checklist of some…

Respondents to a 1982-83 survey of assessment practices in California's community colleges identified Sacramento City College (SCC), Fullerton College (FC), Sierra College (SC), and Victor Valley College (VVC) as having the most effective assessment/placement programs in the state. Interviews conducted on-site with at least three staff members…

In the 1995-96 school year, the Memphis (Tennessee) City Schools released standards for student performance in seven content areas and began laying the foundation for a standards-based curriculum and assessment system. The steps taken to develop and implement this project are outlined as follows: (1) defining the objectives and the project scope;…

The experiences of state and local education agencies in implementing the RMC evaluation models in their evaluations of Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I programs are discussed with emphasis on the problems encountered, suggestions for resolving these problems, and encouraging results which have been reported. Four activities are…

The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) is a statewide program designed to ensure that all students attending public colleges and universities have the basic reading, mathematics, and writing skills necessary to perform effectively at the college level. All entering first-time freshmen are required to take the TASP test, which has a basic skills…

Approximately 20,000 eighth-and eleventh-grade students in Texas were tested on nine career education objectives; (1) career planning and decision making; (2) occupational information; (3) job acquisition and retention; (4) work attitudes; (5) human relations skills; (6) self evaluation; (7) personal responsibilities; (8) economic factors; and (9)…

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) program is described in this article from the standpoint of the policy-making and administrative arrangement which provide the context within which the Advanced Literature and 22 other similar tests exist. The development and dissemination of the Advanced Tests is outlined. A discussion of policy-making and…

Three conference sessions focused on attempts to implement minimum competency testing programs at various educational levels. In each of the sessions particular attention was paid to planning for the development of a minimum competency testing program; the processes of development, initiation, and interpretation of the results; and difficulties…

The testing program of the Royal Oak (Michigan) School District was examined and evaluated under agreement of the Royal Oak Teachers Association and the Administration of the Royal Oak School District. A committee was formed of people knowledgeable of the program and/or specialists in evaluation and testing. This study represents two days of…

The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) is a statewide program designed to ensure that all students attending public colleges and universities have the basic reading, mathematics, and writing skills necessary to perform effectively at the college level. All entering first-time freshmen are required to take the TASP test, which has a basic skills…

A method of developing measurement instruments to assess academic achievement in proficiency-based education is presented. Materials and exercises are sequenced to correspond to major activities which must be completed in developing local assessment systems. The exercises contained in this workshop guide have been field tested and can be followed…