The first three reports in the Six Subject Survey conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement reported cognitive and affective outcomes of school education in science, literature, and reading comprehension for students at the 10-, 14-, and l8-year-old levels in over 20 countries, four of which were less…

This article suggests criteria for evaluating listening comprehension tests. The weaknesses of typical test items are discussed and suggestions for new types of items are given. (CFM)

Presents major stages in design and development of criterion referenced tests (CRT) with emphasis on differences between CRT construction and norm-referenced test construction. Discussion covers test interpretation; test theory; preparation for test construction (hierarchical analysis, item type selection, and choosing number of items); test…

The development of an oral language proficiency rating scale for use in evaluating New Brunswick's junior and senior high school students' core French program achievement is described and discussed. (MSE)

Recent work in factor analysis of categorical variables is reviewed, emphasizing a generalized least squares solution and a maximum likelihood approach. A common factor model for dichotomous items is introduced, and the estimation of factor loadings from matrices of tetracorrelations is discussed. (LMO)

An oral language test administered at the end of a four-year program combining business administration and French is described. The test consists of the formal presentation of a report including numbers, graphics, and text, a discussion of a theoretical issue, and interview. (MSE)

Previous research on student ratings of teacher performance is criticized for design flaws in control of the purpose-of-evaluation variable, and a study of the salience of this variable is reported. Recommendations for design are made and faculty misconceptions about student ratings are discussed. (MSE)

A rating scale measured further training needs of 337 school principals. Their concerns were as follows, starting with highest concerns: instructional leadership role; staff development; creative problem solving; planning for school growth; collaborative long-range planning; personal awareness; and school as an ecological system. (GDC)

Examines the changes made in the Nelson Reading Skills Test, Forms 3 and 4, noting that the authors of the revised test have strengthened the test by requiring students to define words in context and by adding sections related to phonic skills, word parts, and reading rate. (HOD)

Reports on test development and validation research in computer literacy among elementary and secondary students. Empirical data collected in testing 3,000 students in grades four, seven, and 11 are presented which evidence psychometric properties of the testing instruments and address questions of interrelationships among student and classroom…

Implementation of an institutionally based student testing program offers the college an excellent opportunity to better understand its diverse student population providing valuable information for curriculum management and policy formation and enhancing the students' chances for success. (MSE)

Some of the benefits available from using computers to administer the kinds of tests that are familiar in educational settings are reviewed. Four applications that represent current or near-term enhancements of assessment are discussed: computerized adaptive testing, diagnostic testing, test preparation, and administration of simulations of…

This report is Volume 2 of the methodology report that provides information about the development, design, and conduct of the 9-month data collection of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). This volume begins with a brief overview of the ECLS-B, but focuses on the sample design, calculation of response rates, development…

Over the past decade, public attention on the importance of the civic development and education of youth has grown. To address these concerns, the East Bay Conservation Corps (EBCC) Charter School opened in 1996 with the explicit mission to prepare and engage students grades K through 12 as caring citizens who are capable and motivated to fully…

This paper describes how a researcher developed task and four different data collection instruments provide evidence for the identification of various affordances of a technology-rich teaching and learning environment (TRTLE) that were perceived and/or enacted by Year 9 students in their solution of a linear function task utilising a graphing…