Describes an objective-referenced test in mathematics developed by Educational Testing service to assess 40 of the Delaware statewide objectives of fourth-grade students. This test provides information on comprehensive mathematics skills to both administrators and teachers. (DS)

Outlines the specifications for objective-based programs in career education, describes the development of one component (an item and objective bank) of an objective-based woodworking program, and discusses the development of objectives and test items and the utilization of criterion-referenced testing data. A sample of the woodworking objectives…

Eight ambiguous items in the 16-item Inconditionality of Regard Scale of the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory were rewritten to see if the relationship of that scale to others in the inventory would change. The hypothesis that the relationships would change was upheld. (The eight original and eight modified items are included). (JKS)

Presents the results of an investigation to determine if the position of a distractor in a multiple choice question influences the degree of difficulty of an item. The data support the hypothesis that the placement of the distractor immediately before the key alters the difficulty of the item significantly. (Authors/SA)

Elementary school students need to work independently during writing time and monitor and assess their own progress. This paper describes self-designed rubrics, which teachers create with the help of their students. A class activity sheet explains how to create writing rubrics based on needs and goals that students identify. (SM)

Examined the validity of the pragmatic approach to test difficulty put forward by Child (1987). This study investigated whether the Child discourse-type hierarchy predicts text difficulty for second-language readers. Results suggested that this hierarchy may provide a sound basis for developing foreign-language tests when it is applied by trained…

The School Health Intensity Rating Scale assesses student health in school and classifies information according to intensity of need. The paper discusses the background of the need for such a scale, describes development and testing of the scale, and examines the school nurse's role. (SM)

Presents an overview of the variables that contribute to the complexity of English-as-a-Second-Language writing assessment design. (63 references) (Author/CK)

Reviews the related literature in the ares of questioning strategies and content area reading. Reports one teacher's attempt to determine whether specific questioning strategies increase scores on teacher-made tests. Finds that specific questioning strategies do improve performance on teacher-made tests. (MG)

Discusses the University of Tennessee's externally mandated undergraduate exams in public relations and news-editorial skills. Analyzes (1) whether the exams are valid measures of qualities in students that faculty believe are important; (2) what factors are related to scores; and (3) whether these factors are related to specific courses in the…

Effects of gender-related word changes in tests on the performance of male and female examinees were examined. Mathematics and English language test items were administered in neuter, male, and female versions to samples of about 300 high school students each. Factors influencing the resulting lack of bias are discussed. (SLD)

A study of 26 college seniors used introspective and retrospective interviewing to assess cognitive processes used during multiple-choice reading comprehension tests. Categories of processing identified included an overall approach to the test task, reading strategies, and test-taking strategies. (TJH)

Criterion-referenced testing was used to complement norm-referenced procedures in a revision of a university's English-as-a-Second-Language placement test for reading. Test validation results indicated that the revised test better matched the university's program and included more items related to the content and skills that students were…

Responds to Dunn's monograph on Hispanic-Anglo differences in IQ scores. Discusses the cultural/linguistic bias in IQ tests, and the inevitability of this bias due to methods of test development and standardization. Criticizes Dunn's proposal for English immersion programs to replace bilingual education. Contains 21 references. (Author/SV)

The Joint Committee on Testing Practices (JCTP) is a coordinating body sponsored by professional organizations and test publishers that seeks to advance the quality of testing practices and insure the rights of test takers. The JCTP has issued a code, reprinted here, advocating fairness in test construction, selection, and interpretation. (AF)