To examine the issue of item bias within the context of the revised Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R), judgments as to perceived item bias were sought. Independent raters nominated 53 WAIS-R items as containing possible bias. White and non-white college students nominated items as racially or sexually biased. Whereas 10 items were judged…

Occupational education has an impact on students in the form of economic returns to the individual and society through the development of technical skills. The Association of Vocational Education Administrators (AVEA) launched this study to test the hypothesis that vocational programs also have a positive impact on student's social, affective and…

This paper reports a multi-method approach for examining the cognitive level of multiple-choice items used in a medical pathology course at a large midwestern medical school. Analysis of the standard item analysis data and think-out-loud reports of a sample of students completing a 66 item examination were used to test assumptions related to the…

This manual is designed to assist faculty members at the University of North Dakota (UND) in the construction, scoring, and analysis of their classroom tests. A computer program is described which will assist staff in test scoring and analysis. The program was developed by the author in the Office of Medical Education and Evaluation of the…

Concern over the poor and illegible handwriting of the students in Somalia led to the development of this handwriting manual for primary school teachers to: (1) give teachers guidance in teaching handwriting; (2) help teachers in the methodology of teaching handwriting; (3) let teachers know the easier ways of making cheap and obtainable materials…

A series of studies was conducted to investigate the nature of children's goals and the role of goals in children's competence in peer relations. First, a conceptual framework was devised which consisted of eight goal types reflecting social-interpersonal and task-related achievement aspects of game playing: task mastery, approach-oriented…

The learning objectives for writing skills contained in this volume are congruent with Texas law. These objectives and the measurement specifications are provided for teachers and test developers involved with the preparation of the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) tests. Beginning with the 1985-86 school year, the TEAMS…

A study was done to explore the feasibility of developing a set of activity preference (interest) scales corresponding to twenty-two second (higher) order work dimensions derived from the Occupation Analysis Inventory (OAI). (The OAI is an instrument containing 622 work elements which are descriptions of work activities and conditions on which…

Research partially supported by the UCLA Center for the Study of Evaluation of Instructional Programs.

Using interviews, observation, and archival documents, researchers traced the 4-year history of a "freestanding" interorganizational arrangement for school improvement in Santa Clara County (California). Called the "AB 65 Elementary Consortium," the interdistrict collaboration was started in response to California Assembly Bill…

The background out of which "truth in testing" legislation arose is reviewed in this report, which also describes existing state and federal testing legislation, details arguments raised in hearings on the legislation, analyzes the legal issues raised, and provides a framework for simplifying the arguments and gathering more information.…

This issue of a publication devoted to providing ideas and guidance for teachers of English as a second language includes the following articles and features: (1) "Toward Interactive Modes in Guided Composition," (2) "Computer Compatibility in the Classroom," (3) "Discourse Structure in Reading," (4) "Terminal Behavior and Language," (5) "Sector…

Text, illustrations, and exercises are utilized in a set of five learning modules designed to instruct college faculty and education students in selected instructional development skills, the characteristics of adult learners, and the effects of frequently abused drugs. The first module, "How to Write Structured Response Test Items" by…

Results of a study that examined entry competency levels of 1,511 students enrolled in 12 sections of introductory biology at Texas A&M University are reported. A pretest was developed and administered to students which tested basic competencies over nine concept areas considered prerequisite to the introductory biology course. A questionnaire…

A project was conducted to expand a previously developed model for developing proficiency/equivalency tests to evaluate previously acquired knowledge and skill competencies in the areas of clinical microbiology and clinical hematology. Designed for a target group consisting of on-the-job trainees, military personnel, and medical laboratory…