The report proposes to complete the validation and refinement of a new domain referenced testing technology designed to assess literal comprehension ability in students in grades 1-12. The domain referenced measures in this technology, along with other more traditional measures of reading comprehension, literal and non-literal, are subsequently…

Procedures for developing curriculum-based measurement (CBM) systems are presented as an approach to special education problem solving. CBM procedures are discussed within the context of a decision-making matrix, focusing on "what" and "how" to measure and how to use data. An example applies the method to reading-aloud…

Provides seven descriptions of the use of computer courseware in chemistry instruction. Includes the application of programs to the periodic table, information retrieval situations, the production of chemistry examinations, laboratory report writing, calculating Madelung constants, diagrams for acid-base systems, and the display of custom designed…

Describes a study designed to develop a systematic procedure for constructing a valid Likert attitude scale. Discusses the 15-step procedure that was produced. Reviews the resulting development of an instrument designed to test the attitude of teachers toward the use of microcomputers in the classroom. (TW)

Describes development of a comprehensive computer literacy assessment battery for K-12 curriculum based on objectives of a curriculum implemented in the Worldwide Department of Defense Dependents Schools system. Test development and field test data are discussed and a correlational analysis which assists in interpretation of test results is…

Describes a new 48-item self-report instrument, the Multidimensional Measure of Children's Perceptions of Control, which defines children's perceptions of control as understanding the locus of sufficient cause for success and failure. Three dimensions of third- through ninth-grade children's perceptions of control are assessed within three…

Dimensions of Learning is an instructional model that is based on the premise that five types of thinking are essential to the learning process: (1) positive attitudes and perceptions about learning; (2) thinking involved in acquiring and integrating new learning; (3) thinking in extending and refining knowledge; (4) thinking in using knowledge…

Nearly every state has adopted or is in the process of adopting content and performance standards for education. This guide summarizes some of the lessons learned in developing standards. It also provides tips and strategies from early leaders in standards development to help educators and policymakers who are working on new forms of assessment.…

This document includes the left-hand column ("What All Students Should Know") and the center column ("What All Students Should Be Able To Do") from "Missouri's Framework for Curriculum Development in Communication Arts K-12." Next to these two columns has been added a column which includes assessment noted for those…

A computer-based questionnaire was developed to help parents who have not received specialized training to determine whether their young children need further assessment for diagnosis of developmentally at-risk status. The computer automatically determines a starting point for a series of questions according to the child's chronological age. The…

This report describes the methods and procedures used for the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study: 1996-2001 (BPS:1996/2001). These students, who started their postsecondary education during the 1995-96 academic year, were first interviewed in 1996 as part of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:96). A follow-up…

A rating scale operationalized a model for the adoption and implementation of educational innovation. Phases were designated: creating a climate for change; analyzing antecedent conditions; generating alternatives; initiating change adoption; implementing change; and evaluating change outcomes. Principals' decision-making behavior was the best…

Examines reasons why student assessment is undergoing reform, discussing how such reform may affect the nation's schools. The paper describes why school reform is occurring, notes how reform of assessment fits school reform, explains types of assessments and assessment designs, and highlights practical and technical challenges inherent in using…

Questionnaires that were developed to measure factors in the academic persistence of minority college students were administered to 454 Mexican American students at two large southwestern universities. Both the Cultural Congruity Scale and the University Environment Scale were significant predictors of academic persistence of Mexican American…

Describes the development of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Details revisions in the MMPI and then evaluates positive and negative features of these revisions in the light of construct validity and professional practice. Argues that many suggested refinements to the instrument are being actively investigated by its…