This report documents the work of the first national effort to design tests for the evaluation of the occupational competency of trade and industrial/technical teachers in 24 major occupational areas. Participating in the project were 717 specialists from industry, education, government, the military, and testing organizations. Tests were…

This booklet describes the written portion of the Foreign Service Officer examination process. Sample questions and answers from the various components of the General Ability, English Expression, and General Background tests are provided, as well as the rationale for each type of question. (DLG)

An experimental examination was conducted using a multiple-choice test for the purpose of constructing an examination in mathematics. Some 1,125 secondary school students from various school districts were chosen as candidates. The test consisted of twenty mathematical situations requiring five true or false answers for each test item. No time…

In order to assess achievement in technical drawing at the secondary school level, an experimental examination was conducted using 333 boys and 2 girls from 13 schools. The objectives of the course in order of importance were: (1) Understanding and Comprehension; (2) Use; and (3) Communication. Three papers were formed: Paper I, an objective…

The manual provides instructions for adapting the Special Fitness Test and the Special Fitness Test Award System for moderately retarded children. It is noted that major purposes of the test and award system are to motivate youngsters to participate actively in physical education and recreation activities and give them feelings of accomplishment…

Describes efforts in Ohio to assess the mathematics and English skills of high school juniors so that students can undertake corrective education if needed prior to entering college. Explains Clark Technical College's Early English Assessment Program, which uses the College Board's Written English Expression Placement Test. (DMM)

New Jersey's statewide testing program demonstrates that systematic data collection and reporting can have a major impact on both understanding the gap between college expectations and high school preparation and on the college and pre-college efforts to close that gap. (Author/MLW)

The New York Regents External Degree Nursing Program, a competency-based degree alternative for experienced adult learners, is examined. In this program, Regents College acts in partnership with colleges and universities, service institutions, and other educational institutions. The program's three-way strategy of cooperation is discussed, along…

Michigan is designing a new accountability system that combines high standards and statewide testing within a school accreditation framework. Sound assessment techniques are critical if the accountability system is to provide relevant information to schools and policymakers. One important component of a sound assessment system is measurement of…

This study introduced and demonstrated a new methodology for item and test bias studies: moderated differential item functioning (DIF). This technique expands the DIF methodology to incorporate contextual and sociological variables as moderating effects of the DIF. The study explored differential domain functioning (DDF), so that the focus of…

The California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE), established in 1999, requires all high school students beginning with the class of 2004 to pass the CAHSEE to earn a high school diploma. A study was conducted in a large urban school district in central California of the first year of implementation of CAHSEE. The study gathered evidence about…

The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) measures reading, mathematics, and writing skills through multiple-choice test items and a writing test essay. It is administered, by law, to students entering Texas public institutions of higher education before they complete 9 semester hours. Passing all sections indicates a general readiness to perform…

The psychometric properties of the testing tools of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP), the state standardized testing program, are examined. Reliability studies have indicated that the scores from the MEAP, ranging from 0.654 to 0.949, are generally acceptable. The State Department of Education offered supporting evidence for the…

This book shows the advantages of Rasch measurement (G. Rasch) for school district testing programs. The results of Rasch methods are contrasted with conventional statistics for assessing student responses to basic skills testing. Chapter 1 shows how the Rasch probability-based method produces measures that are more useful for students, parents,…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) of the National Center for Education Statistics offers the most comprehensive picture available of elementary and secondary schools in the United States. The value of the SASS would be even greater if information on districts and schools could be related directly to student outcomes. A relatively inexpensive…