Describes the Group Comprehension Matrix and the Individual Comprehension Matrix, assessment instruments that teachers can use to help them make student placement decisions. (FL)

Views teacher-made tests as a fundamental part of the educational process, defining instructional purposes, influencing what students study, and helping instructors gain perspective on their courses. Offers examples of test items that can perform these functions, while assessing knowledge and skills. (DMM)

Clearly stated educational objectives can help in educational evaluation. Because objectives sans assessment are little more than rhetoric, criterion-referenced tests are advocated for assessing objective-attainment. Performance standards are viewed as appropriately separable from objectives. Five guidelines regarding objectives are suggested for…

While some states are adopting uniform, statewide testing of college students to assess learning, most are relying on a wide variety of testing programs designed and administered by individual institutions. (MSE)

This article presents a model that can be used by local school districts for reanalyzing standardized test results to obtain a more valid assessment of local learning objectives can be used to identify strengths/weaknesses of existing programs as well as individual students. (EGS)

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville conducted a system-wide effort to increase use of student outcome information in assessing and improving academic programs. For this effort, the university received the National Council on Measurement in Education award for an outstanding example of an application of educational measurement technology. (EGS)

The steady growth of state testing programs and its implications for the measurement community are discussed in terms of testing purposes (monitoring, accountability, and curriculum advancement) and test development, administration, and reporting. It is important that the measurement community address crucial issues to maintain its substantial…

The interrelationships of a variety of student aptitude and achievement measures are examined in a sample of 88 Australian undergraduate students, and the critial role of the data analyst in examining the relationships is discussed. (MSE)

Indicates that the format and use of the informal reading inventory need to be modified in order to address recent research findings of schema theory, text analysis, and metacognition. (FL)

Describes a revised readability formula for Vietnamese that differentiates between Vietnamese and Sino-Vietnamese compound words and discusses its validity and reliability. (HOD)

Discusses the entrance examination used by Georgetown University's Division of Interpretation and Translation, which follows the American Association of Language Specialists system. The skills tested are comprehension of content and purpose of discourse, expression in the target language, and speed of work. The condidates' general background is…

A program allowing students to retest at a scheduled time during the course to raise a grade, by taking a variation on an original test, is described, and its advantages and disadvantages are outlined. Suggestions are given for making the technique more successful. (MSE)

Examined the benefits to an admissions office of using the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in predicting freshmen grades (N=169 and N=172). Results suggested the SAT does not increase predictive validity substantially beyond the high school record. Presents an alternative admissions strategy based on multiple regression. (JAC)

Cognitive learning and cognitive measures are defined and various types of objective measures of cognitive learning are discussed and compared, including short answer test items, true-false items, multiple choice items, matching items, and written simulations. (MSE)

Defines test bias as a phenomenon in which test scores result in negative outcomes for certain groups, often lower socioeconomic groups and minorities. Discusses three manifestations of test bias including content, atmosphere, and use bias and presents recommendations for remedying bias problems in testing the culturally different. (JAC)