A pilot of a reading test to be used in college entrance examinations for black South Africans showed how students' interpretation of the test differed as the social context was altered. The multiple meanings produced by shifting power relations call into question the test's validity. (SK)

This article discusses (1) assessment of discourse through listening and reading to evaluate comprehension problems; (2) developmental aspects of the relationship between listening and reading comprehension skills; (3) problems with selecting text passages and methods of testing comprehension; and (4) the development of a set of passages and a…

Describes the complex and sometimes conflicting components involved in reading assessment issues and proposes a solution that involves linkages among assessment audiences and approaches. Concludes with remarks about how school districts might pull together all the pieces and solve the assessment puzzle for themselves. (PRA)

With a computer's assistance, a Missouri school is assessing its fifth graders' reading progress by recording their voices as they read aloud, then saving the students' self-evaluations along with the recordings in a computer portfolio. Program aims to involve students in self-evaluation and critical thinking, promote student ownership of reading…

Discusses three significant developments in comprehension theory (integration of information, prior knowledge, and prose organization) together with how certain innovative testing strategies can be used to match theory with format. Finds that six of the tests commonly used by special educators assess either a single dimension of reading…

A study of 51 third and 47 fourth graders using a new measure of exposure to print, the Title Recognition Test, established that orthographic processing ability can account for variance in word recognition skill after variance resulting from phonological processing is removed. The importance of print exposure is discussed. (SLD)

An evaluation of Job Trails, a computerized basic skills assessment of functional context literacy, received 79 responses from adult students showing that (1) it works best with low performing learners; (2) adults liked using computers and did not view it as a "test"; and (3) they learned more about necessary job skills. (SK)

The Multilevel Academic Survey Test is intended for students in grades 3-8 and older students who perform inadequately on K-8 reading and math content. It determines which students need special services and determines appropriate instruction according to specific curriculum objectives. This paper describes administration, data summation,…

Examined the relationship between levels of technology implementation in the classroom and standardized test scores in reading and mathematics in grades four and five. Surveyed a sample of teachers using the Levels of Technology Implementation (LoTi) instrument to determine their personal level of technology implementation in their classroom.…

Gender differences in answers to constructed-response reading items from a state assessment program were studied with four raters rating approximately 500 papers at two grade levels. Results indicate that number of words written and number of unrelated responses show significant gender differences and are related to holistic scores. (SLD)

Describes a team-based approach for creating Sentence Verification Technique (SVT) tests, a development procedure that allows teachers and other school personnel to develop comprehension tests from curriculum materials in use in their schools. Finds that if tests are based on materials that are appropriate for the population to be tested, the…

Explores the utility of a continuum of fluency-based indicators of foundational early literacy skills to predict reading outcomes, inform educational decisions, and change reading outcomes for students at risk of reading difficulty. Outlines a continuum of fluency-based indicators of foundational reading skills. Examines utility and predictive…

Describes one Washington superintendent's efforts to have 90 percent of district students reading at or above grade level by the end of the second or third grade. Also describes seven attributes of effective reading programs: Leadership, clear focus, assessment, effective early intervention, quality materials, time, and a sense of team. (PKP)

This study examined the extent that motivational processes facilitate the comprehension of texts and the extent of culture's role in children's motivational processes of text comprehension. Relationships between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, the amount of reading, past reading achievement, and text comprehension were examined by utilizing…

This paper focuses on the system of banding used in England by the former Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) in order to seek to obtain an intake to secondary schools that was balanced in terms of ability. The first part of the paper provides a brief history of the system of banding, how it was informed by verbal reasoning testing and how it…