The current study is a comparison of the characteristics of the candidates from the Grossmont Union High School District who took the March 1976 administration of the California High School Proficiency Examination, with special attention to the differences between those candidates who passed the examination and those who did not . Significant…

Reviews the technical proficiency examination system required by law of Ontario (Canada) faculties of education to determine the technical proficiency of vocational candidates in the subject areas they expect to teach. Includes an interim report on administration of the examinations at Queen's University, Ontario. (MF)

This paper describes conventions in the scoring of classroom tests and of the achievement batteries used in school districts', testing programs in the U.S. The scales used for the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the American College Testing Program are described. Some new, criterion-referenced scales developed for state and national assessments are…

Highlights ways community colleges have responded to demands for increased accountability through retention programs, placement testing, skills and goals assessment, learning laboratories and skill centers, and the use of computer technology to collect and analyze data on student outcomes and individualized instruction. (DMM)

Looks at school-based assessment within a norm-referenced framework which replaced external examinations for all year levels of high school in Queensland (Australia) beginning in 1973. Suggests that changes have made little advance, have used an enormous amount of resources, but have acted as an impetus to examine assessment and curriculum. (PK)

1982-83 Georgia Regents' Testing Program reading subtest scores and five aptitude/achievement variables of 256 Black and 3009 White Georgia University sophomores were compared. Classification analysis showed White students scored higher. Results were compared to the National Assessment of Education Program findings. (BS)

This study compared tenth grade scores on the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) assessment in the Lafayette School Corporation in mathematics and language arts. The sample was taken from a high school with a total enrollment of 1,990 students, 296 of whom were considered special needs students. Data were gathered for the…

The North Carolina State Board of Education developed the ABCs of Public Education in response to the School-Based Management and Accountability Program enacted in 1996. The ABCs focuses on accountability with an emphasis on high educational standards, teaching the basics, and maximum local control. This document reports the results of the…

Writing assessment began in Alaska in the 1970s, and the Alaska Writing Assessment (AWA) that was piloted in 1997 built on previous efforts. The 1997 AWA involved more than 20,000 students in grades 5, 7, and 10 from 43 school districts, and the mandatory assessment planned for 1998 will include approximately 28,000 students. This review of the…

As almost every state attempts to reform mathematics instruction by implementing new teaching standards, state testing practices remain largely unchanged. Is there a mismatch between these new standards and the old tests? This question is investigated by examining whether middle school and high school algebra students taught in a manner consistent…

This guide is designed to give the student helpful information about Arizona's Instrument To Measure the Standards (AIMS) for grade 3. The guide provides examples of the type of questions students see on AIMS and explains how items are scored. It does not teach what the student needs to know to do well on AIMS, but it will help the student know…

This guide is designed to give the student helpful information about Arizona's Instrument To Measure the Standards (AIMS) for grade 5. The guide provides examples of the type of questions students see on AIMS and explains how items are scored. It does not teach what the student needs to know to do well on AIMS, but it will help the student know…

This paper discusses diverse approaches to be used in assessing student achievement in geography. Criterion-referenced tests (CRT) are generally developed at the state level, and 48 of the 50 states have some form of CRT. As a result, objectives for teachers to use in teaching geography have been written at the state level, and the CRT is aligned…

Technology education planners must evaluate, change, and modify content to match rapid international advancements. Verification of seen and unseen factors that would improve technology education output is possible through periodic assessment of student learnability competence. The ultimate tool in researching student learnability is the assessment…

This manual contains information regarding the administration of the Oregon Statewide Assessment Program's tests in writing and mathematics problem-solving. Parts of the manual address (1) background and preparation for testing; (2) administering the writing assessment; (3) administering the mathematics problem-solving assessment; (4) local rater…