Many schools are moving to develop benchmark tests to monitor their students' progress toward state standards throughout the academic year. Benchmark tests can provide the ongoing information that schools need to guide instructional programs and to address student learning problems. The authors discuss six criteria that educators can use to…

Defines educational importance, multidimensionality, and economy to be essential criteria in the selection of attitude scales for curriculum evaluation. Five scales meeting the requirements are selected and tested with 1,158 Australian seventh-grade students. Scores on the attitude scales and correlations of scores with socioeconomic status,…

Reviews different types of tests that a science teacher may use. Selection of a particular test depends on various predetermined achievement criteria. Some useful hints are given for teachers for constructing their own tests. (PS)

Over 1,100 published tests including over 5,400 subtests, keyed to educational objectives of secondary education, were evaluated by measurement experts and educators. The tests were evaluated specifically with the concerns of grades nine and ten in mind. Upon a test's or subtest's assignment to one of the educational objectives, it was subjected…

Over 1,100 published tests including over 5,400 subtests, keyed to educational objectives of secondary education, were evaluated by measurement experts and educators. The tests were evaluated specifically with the concerns of grades 11 and 12 in mind. Upon a test's or subtest's assignment to one of the educational objectives, it was subjected to…

A procedure for in-depth analysis of a limited number of tests being considered for selection by a school, district, project, or state personnel is described. This procedure involves listing the objectives that it would be desirable to measure determining the relative importance of each of these objectives, having "judges" match test items to…

An objective-based classification of needs-assessment areas for elementary education and a critical test evaluation procedure for application to measurement devices in these need areas were developed. Criteria for the evaluation are measurement validity, examinee appropriateness, administrative usability, and normed technical excellence. The…

The increased attention to measuring career skills has resulted in more instrument development, more testing of students, and more test administrators. There are three key areas of concern. The first area is that of identifying purposes to be served by assessing career skills. Purposes include permitting descriptions of the current status of…

A project was conducted to revise the list of assessment instruments that Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE)-funded agencies are permitted to use to report learner gains. Through a mail survey, the project researched 19 standardized assessment instruments used by agencies for reporting learner…

This reference resource provides a comprehensive listing of tests, keyed to behavioral and educational objectives of elementary school education. Each test, or when appropriate, a subtest of a test, was evaluated by educators and measurement specialists. Four main criteria were selected for evaluating the tests: measurement validity, examinee…

In past Head Start evaluations, cognitive measures have been weighed heavily. This has not accurately reflected the relative unimportance of cognitive program goals; child performance gains are not an objective with high priority for most Head Start programs. Evaluation planners need to weigh previously encountered measurement problems carefully…

This project first identified the specific mathematics, reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills required of an entry-level electronics testing technician (ETT), using a modified DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) occupational analysis process. This approach involves a panel of expert workers from the electronics industry who analyze and…

This project first identified the duties and tasks required of an entry-level retail salesperson, using the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) occupational analysis process. In this process, a panel of local managers and expert workers determine the essential duties and tasks of their occupation. Next, the panel identified the specific basic skills…

This project first identified the duties and tasks required of an entry-level auto mechanic (AM) and an auto body worker (ABW), using a modified DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) occupational analysis process. In this process, a panel of local, expert workers determined the essential duties and tasks of their occupations. Next, the panel identified…

Every test intended for use in federally-funded research on children or youth during fiscal year 1975 was placed on a list. The list enentually comprised the titles of 1,570 instruments. The question pursued was whether there would be any realtionship between an instrument's quality and the frequenc with which it was used. For measures of quality…