Background information is provided about the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) reading test, a test developed to meet the objectives specified by the State Board of Education in 1986. The revised test measures reading in a more interactive manner than did previous tests. The rationale of the test is presented, the revised reading…

Limitations of using linear, unilevel regression procedures in modeling student achievement are discussed. This study is a part of a broader study that is developing an empirically-based predictive model of variables associated with academic achievement from a multilevel perspective and examining the differences by which parameters are estimated…

After a brief review of recent research concerning school effectiveness, this paper proposes an approach to operationalizing school effectiveness that is based on the achievement of students in a school over a period of time. This three-level model does not follow a single cohort of students as they progress through school. Rather, it uses the…

As part of an overall regional needs assessment, an overview is provided of testing programs in the mid-Atlantic region, consisting of: the District of Columbia; Delaware; Maryland; New Jersey; and Pennsylvania. The testing programs vary widely by objective and approach. One of the major needs assessment activities is the examination of student…

Guidelines are presented for incorporating screening and assessment into a sequential and comprehensive model of preschool intervention services. At-risk children who may receive intervention services and an ecological intervention model are described. Three categories of children may benefit from services of early intervention programs: children…

The New Jersey State Department of Education adopted the High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) as a high school graduation requirement beginning with the ninth grade class of 1985-86. This document is a tool to support educators in making the necessary curriculum modifications to improve basic skill mastery and student achievement on the HSPT. It…

Home environment factors which influence school learning were reviewed. Socioeconomic status (SES) has explained only about ten percent of the variance in achievement. Also, there is very little that can be done to change SES over a short period of time. Dave and Wolf studied what parents do, rather then who they are; they investigated the…

This paper discusses higher-order cognitive skills, provides examples of appropriate test item content in various subject areas, and describes higher-level cognitive skills which might be tested by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Higher-order cognitive skills are said to be more difficult to measure than simpler skills;…

Practical and technical advice is provided for staff responsible for planning evaluations of Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) Chapter 1 migrant programs at the state level. The report is limited to evaluating achievement gains in basic skills; this is, however, acknowledged as only one facet of a comprehensive migrant program…

The current New Jersey high school graduation law requires that students pass a ninth grade test in reading, writing, and mathematics. Equating the writing test from year to year to be sure that passing scores remain identical, regardless of the test form administered, requires developing a scoring technique. A research study was developed based…

Nearly 15,000 students were administered the Alaska Statewide Assessment Test--virtually all fourth and eighth grade students. Preliminary results indicated that eighth graders made substantial improvements in both reading and mathematics performance. Fourth grade scores were basically unchanged since 1983. There was also little change between…

This paper examines how various equating methods are affected by: (1) sampling error; (2) sample characteristics; and (3) characteristics of anchor test items. It reviews empirical studies that investigated the invariance of equating transformations, and it discusses empirical and simulation studies that focus on how the properties of anchor tests…

This edition highlights two topic areas. A new chart summarizes and updates information on state testing requirements for certification and for entry to or exit from teacher education progams. State activity in the area of early childhood education provides the second highlight. Documenting a variety of reforms, this survey also tracks eight…

The first statewide direct writing assessment was conducted for grade 8 by the California Assessment Program (CAP) in the spring of 1987. Each student wrote an essay in response to 1 of 15 prompts (writing tasks) representing: (1) an autobiographical incident; (2) a report of information; (3) a solution to a problem; and (4) an evaluation. In all,…

In response to a legislative imperative that all public higher education institutions in Virginia develop and implement a program to measure student learning and to use the results of evaluations for the improvement of instruction and the curriculum, the Virginia community colleges have either initiated or completed a number of student assessment…