Scope and Method of Study: This study focused on the development and use of the AT-SAT test battery and the Initial En Route Qualification training course for the selection, training, and evaluation of air traffic controller candidates. The Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used to measure the linear relationship between the…

Describes problems with standardized testing and urges teachers to educate the public about weaknesses in statewide minimum competency testing. (DD)

Offers the Southern Examining Group chief examiner's personal assessment of the successes and problems encountered during the first year of the British General Certification of Secondary Education (GCSE) examination. Discusses both coursework and the examination itself. Concludes that if administrative problems can be overcome, the GCSE will…

Several of the major considerations involved in implementing a statewide testing program are discussed. The test results provide information which influences the educational enterprise in matters of curriculum, instruction, guidance, and accountability. Tests to be used in an assessment program must be developed by the administering agency when…

Part of the plan by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to prepare training materials and conduct conferences on improving teachers' use of standardized tests was to survey a representative sample of elementary/secondary teachers. This survey ascertains teacher preparation and knowledge in testing, teacher assessment of the importance of…

This review of the background and current status of state level activities in testing documents the shift in locus of educational control from local school districts to state agencies, the key dimensions characterizing such programs, factors influencing their implementation and their possible impact. (Author/AEF)

Although minimum competency testing is increasingly popular, there is presently a paucity of information on teachers' and principals' use of and attitudes toward these testing programs. Therefore, a study examined the use and perceived impact of standardized reading tests in Puerto Rico and compared these results to the results of a similar study…

A study was designed to assess the effects of the introduction of a state-mandated minimum competency test (MCT) on students' acquisition of basic and high-level mathematics skills. Subjects of the study were ninth-grade students, all of whom attended the same schools in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District, and took the same form of the…

Before using the National Teacher Examinations (NTE) for teacher certification, states are required to conduct a state-wide validity study. This paper describes approaches used in 35 studies for 18 states to establish (NTE) content validity through curriculum and job relatedness and to establish minimum performance standards. (BS)

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District Office of Program Evaluation and Research is responsible for providing information for program development and improvement; providing test information to special programs coordinators; and acting as a clearinghouse for all information concerning tests, evaluation methodology, and educational…

Examines factors contributing to increasing acceptance of and dependence on state and local educational testing. Factors examined include the accountability movement, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, National Assessment of Educational Progress, growth in statewide and local assessment, and minimum competency testing. (SM)

The study reports achievement data over four school years (1978-82) from standardized tests administered to approximately one million students per year in the state of Indiana. The reports show the percent of students performing in each of three bands of stanines--1,2,3; 4,5,6; 7,8,9. Representative grades from primary, intermediate,…

This paper outlines how the Austin Independent School District (Texas) tried to deal with the following questions: (1) Should special education students be included in the administration of standardized tests?; (2) Should their scores be included or excluded in the reporting of test results?; and (3) What are the evidences that test scores reflect…

This study involved the assessment of classroom teachers' standardized and mastery program testing needs and proficiencies by a random sample of Ohio principals and supervisors (N=586). A total of 229 supervisors, 313 building principals, and 44 individuals in related supervisory roles was used. The findings from the investigation support the…

This collection of articles is designed to enhance leadership for the promotion of effective evaluation and learning. The articles include an Introduction, by Fred Snyder; Exerting Leadership Toward Effective Evaluation of Pupil Performance, by T. L. Drake; The Elementary Principal as an Instructional Leader, by John Ourth; The Secondary Principal…