Presents results obtained in a general physics course when students were allowed two-trials for completing each examination with only the better of the two grades counting towards final grade. (SL)

Evidence suggests that single-sex groups for science, whether in mixed schools or in single-sex schools, do not improve the attainment of girls in first-year science. Boys are shown to perform equally well upon knowledge-based tests; but upon mechanical reasoning and evaluation of data tests, boys perform significantly better than girls. (Author)

Discusses issues related to examination questions which begin by asking students to "Describe an experiment to..." Indicates that this strategy is useful when focusing on important quantities/phenomena or "celebrated" experiments and that examining boards should not request students to describe experiments which verify or…

Describes development of tests of student progress and instructional efficiency for 12 Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) units by the Fayette County (Kentucky) schools. Separate tests for each unit (grades one to six) were developed and a subset of items for each major part of a unit were identified. (JN)

Results for the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment are reported. Since 1969, the NAEP has been the sole ongoing national indicator of what U.S. students know and can do in major academic subjects. The science assessment was first administered to nationally representative samples of 4th, 8th, and 12th graders…

This study investigated the effects of two practice reading methods (an ACT [American College Test]-prep program) on the performance of 11th grade students (N=43) on an ACT science portion mockup sub-test. A pre-test, treatment, post-test with control group design was used in the study. The treatments included that students read the ACT science…

Development of the test instrument in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) was based on the expertise of many researchers, including "distinguished scholars from 10 countries" who participated on the TIMSS Subject Matter Advisory Committee. However, a close examination of the TIMSS Science items suggests that not…

A report on a project to develop animated test films to be used in evaluating learning in elementary-level science education. (Author)

Discusses the variety of roles that measurement and evaluation can play in improving the quality of instruction in science. Three types of evaluation are distinguished (preparative, formative, and summative evaluation), and the purpose and value of each type in the instructional process are analyzed. (JR)

Presents a quiz on science and technology for technical writing instructors to see for themselves how much information they have learned from teaching their students. (HTH)