Issues of the relative costs of multiple choice tests and alternative types of assessment are explored. Before alternative assessments in large-scale or small-scale programs are used, attention must be given to cost considerations and the resources required to develop and implement the assessment. Major categories of cost to be considered are…

This publication describes several different teaching strategies employed to enhance students' understanding of mathematics, such as working in cooperative learning groups, giving presentations based on problems that were solved, and writing about solutions that were found. This innovative approach to teaching mathematics resulted in questioning…

The Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) attempts to advance the understanding of educational quality by research and development on the design, implementation, analysis, and use of assessment information. CRESST's research programs are directed at five major goals: (1) provide leadership to improve assessment…

The development and preliminary evaluation of the Computerized Adaptive Testing System (CATSYS), a new testing package for IBM-compatible microcomputers, are described. CATSYS can be used to administer and score operational adaptive tests or to conduct on-line computer simulation studies. The package incorporates several innovative features,…

In problem-based learning, an instrument is needed to measure students' actual learning activities. Mapping the domain of learning activities undertaken by students and improving problems is especially important in a problem-based curriculum because students choose their own learning objectives. Such an instrument, the Topic Evaluation…

A study was planned to generate a model for testing second language education that would incorporate task types to allow the display of fluency. It is argued that the display of oral fluency can be used as a selection criterion for inclusion of test items in multitask or portfolio assessment. The following three research questions were formulated:…

This comprehensive evaluation of basic skills testing in California's elementary and secondary schools is divided into an executive summary and a collection of research reports. The summary evaluates current testing conducted by the state, school districts, and classroom teachers; describes experimental studies on new ways of testing and reporting…

Intended for writing teachers and administrators of writing programs, this handbook is both an information source and a model for a staff development workshop on writing assessment. Section I reviews the history of the New Jersey Statewide Writing Test, while Section II describes the test format, content, and reporting procedures. After an…

A study, conducted in a basic educational psychology course which serves as a gateway course to a teacher education program at Michigan State University, focused on the development of new knowledge while it taught about the educational research process and the subject being studied. A new format for objective testing, alternate-choice questions,…

The development and field testing of a proficiency test in English as a Second Language for non-native speakers teaching on Guam is reported. The resulting instrument measures four language skills (listening, reading, writing, and speaking). The listening measure uses natural language that might be heard by a classroom teacher. The reading measure…

The purpose of this study was to develop a testing method for the assessment of various types of writing at the elementary school level that would meet acceptable standards for educational measurement instruments as well as standards of utility and feasibility within a given educational system. The study was conducted within the framework of an…

A rating scale was designed to measure college classroom climate in Primary Teacher Training Colleges in Spain, as well as to describe and compare college classroom environments. Data were gathered from 33 classes of students training to be public or private primary school teachers at colleges in Sevilla and Huelva. Participant observation and…

It is feasible for school districts to develop and use subject area tests as reliable as those previously available only from commercial publishers. Three projects in local item development in a large school district are described. The first involved only Algebra 1. The second involved life science and career education at the elementary level; and…

The design and evaluation of a rating scale for program evaluation in problem-based medical curricula are described. The design process was guided by a theory of how students learn in problem-based learning as modeled by W. H. Gijselaers and H. G. Schmidt (1988). The rating scale was used in an evaluation of a new problem-based, community-oriented…

This publication on the New South Wales' Basic Skills Testing Program (BSTP) describes the development of the program's tests, the analysis of students' results, and the communication of results to parents, teachers, and schools. In BSTP tests, basic skills are defined not as low-level, rudimentary survival skills, but as major areas of learning…