The relationship construct between physicians and patients was explored in the context of medical education and evaluation focusing on the clinical performance of third-year medical students. The Relationship Instrument, a performance-based assessment, was constructed to measure interpersonal and communication skills of the physician interacting…

Methods of computerized adaptive testing using conventional scoring methods in order to develop a computerized placement test for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) were studied. As a consequence of simulation studies during the first phase of the study, the multilevel testing paradigm was adopted to produce three test levels…

This study examined the relationship of multiple-choice and free-response items contained on the College Board's Advanced Placement Computer Science (APCS) examination. Subjects were two samples of 1,000 randomly drawn from the population of 7,372 high school students taking the 1988 examination of the APCS "AB" form. Most were high…

Some of the reasons efforts are being made to reform education are discussed, and how these reforms are likely to affect U.S. schools is explored. Data collected annually by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) indicate that almost all states have some form of assessment that is administered to all students at one or more grade…

This paper describes a framework for authentic instruction and assessment for the New York state alternative program of integrated mathematics, science, and technology (MST). The paper includes the rationale for the assessment framework, description of tasks, students' work, and suggested evaluation scheme. The MST framework consists of seven…

The State Department of Education is releasing the domain specifications of the New Mexico High School Competency Examination (NMHSCE) for educator use because the Spring 1996 administration of the test will be in a different form. The NMHSCE is a high school graduation requirement in New Mexico. It assesses students' competence in writing,…

Beginning in the 1995-96 school year, the science test will be added to the Ninth-grade Proficiency Tests Program. Any student graduating after September 15, 2000 will be required to pass the Ninth-grade Proficiency Test in Science, as well as the other tests in reading, writing, mathematics, and citizenship. This fact sheet provides information…

The North Carolina End-of-Grade Testing Program is based on the assessment of higher level skills in the context of specific subject-area content. These tests inform students, parents, the community, and educators about the achievement of North Carolina students in grades three through eight in given areas. This report describes the development…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is an ongoing, congressionally mandated national survey of the knowledge, skills, and understanding of young Americans in major subjects usually taught in school. This document is a guide to the files of the first NAEP Trial State Assessment (1990). The Trial State Assessment collected…

This paper discusses whether or not revisions of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT) have created such significant differences between the two tests that a student could conceivably score significantly higher on one than the other. The SAT has been revised to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student…

A general methodology approach is suggested for measurement of workforce readiness competencies in the context of overall work by the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing on the domain-independent measurement of workforce readiness skills. The methodology consists of 14 steps, from the initial selection of a…

A major argument against evaluation of teacher performance by students pertains to the instruments being used. Colleges conduct instructional evaluation using instruments they devise, borrow, adopt, or adapt from other institutions. Whether these instruments are tested for content validity is unknown. This study determined how evaluation questions…

Quality Performance Accreditation (QPA), as mandated by the Kansas State Board of Education, requires schools to document student learning through multiple assessment strategies and requires students to participate in state-developed assessments in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. The Kansas National Education Association has joined…

Multilog (Thissen, 1991) was used to estimate parameters of 225 items from the Quebec Adaptive Behavior Scale (QABS). A database containing actual data from 2,439 subjects was used for the parameterization procedures. The two-parameter-logistic model was used in estimating item parameters and in the testing strategy. MicroCAT (Assessment Systems…

Three papers are presented that summarize current project findings from a study of the actual effects of introducing new forms of assessment at the classroom level. All focus on aspects of performance assessment as an alternative to traditional assessments. "Effects of Introducing Classroom Performance Assessments on Student Learning" by Lorrie A.…