This investigation of the effect of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on the learning of library skills hypothesized that there would be a substantial difference in the achievement of library skills by those students who received additional drill and practice through the use of CAI and those who received additional drill and practice only from…

The usefulness of before-adjunct questions with standardized multiple-choice tests in increasing reading comprehension scores was studied by examining the relative effectiveness of reading test questions first or reading the passage first. Subjects were 210 fourth graders randomly assigned to two treatment groups. The Level 9 Reading Comprehension…

The Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB) is a professional educational association of nearly 650 independent elementary and secondary schools and organizations, all committed to excellence in the profession of independent school admission. In this role, the SSATB tested 47,576 students in 1986-87. The SSATB is a non-profit corporation…

Intended for teachers of Reading 10 (a Canadian developmental reading course in secondary schools), this monograph provides background material as well as suggestions for implementing the program, which was designed to improve students' strategies for learning from text. The document deals with structural, philosophical, and practical aspects of…

A mail questionnaire study involving 3,000 Texas educators was undertaken to describe the effects of certain Texas education reform policies as they relate to teacher burnout. Focus was on determining how the production of teacher-required paperwork and mandated student achievement testing influence teacher burnout. An initial mailing resulted in…

This paper examines the effects of labor supply reduction on published measures of the average annual earnings of black men since 1964. Time series data show that black men, who traditionally earn much less than whites, realized major gains in relative earnings between the mid-1960s and mid-1970s, but since the mid-1970s their position relative to…

This report presents a new comprehensive design for licensing teachers. The design would require beginning teachers to complete a supervised internship as the penultimate step in the licensing process. Local school districts, operating under state guidelines, would be expected to make carefully planned internships available to all beginning…

Reported research and analysis concerning competency tests required for high school graduation and concerning dropping out of school point to ambiguous hypotheses about the effects of graduation tests on early school leaving. A review of the literature indicates the existence of data on the process nature of dropping out, the centrality of…

Potential benefits of using item response theory in test construction are evaluated, based on the experience and evidence accumulated during 9 years of using a three-parameter model in the construction of major achievement batteries. Specific benefits covered include obtaining sample-free item calibrations and item-free person measurement,…

The Tennessee Career Ladder evaluation system is a multiple-data-source system for evaluating teachers in order to provide them with merit status and benefits. This presentation is based primarily on data from 1983 through Spring 1986, and focus is on the functioning of the general education teacher appraisal system. Four of the 14 steps involved…

The sample parent handbook contains handouts used with a series of four meetings in which parents of preschool handicapped children learn how to be their child's advocate. The first meeting is on Testing and the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and includes: "Evaluation Responsibilities,""Questions You May Want To…

Prepared especially for decision makers involved in designing appropriate programs for kindergarten children, this research monograph concentrates on four specific issues that have proven difficult in most communities. Chapter 1 explains how kindergarten entry age affects children's school success. Chapter 2 discusses the ability of tests to…

When learning is taking place, students test their hypotheses and evaluate them, and modify their current theories on the basis of new information. This phenomenon is known as "hypothesis testing view" or "theory changes." Many students change their rules to another while they are taking a test. This study introduced a new…

The purpose of this project was to develop a motor performance test for preschool children that would be economical to administer, valid, and reliable. Four test items--standing long jump, hopping within an 18-inch square, balancing on one foot, and a timed gross agility task, were selected from published tests to assess children's strength,…

The evaluation tools written by teachers are rarely valid or reliable. One teaching aid that can help in the creation of an effective evaluation instrument is called a test map. A test map is a systematic method to consider variables that are important in the construction of the format of a test. Five variables that are discussed in the test…