This book is a guide to the development and use of performance tasks and rubrics in the high school mathematics classroom. It contains a rationale for, and a discussion of strengths and limitations of, performance tasks to assess student achievement and progress in mathematics. A field-tested process is offered for developing performance tasks and…

The nature and development of the recently released International English Language Testing System (IELTS) instrument are described. The test is the result of a joint Australian-British project to develop a new test for use with foreign students planning to study in English-speaking countries. It is expected that the modular instrument will become…

The "Criteria for Accreditation" (1991) and reaffirmation published by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools were validated through a survey of alumni. The criteria were developed to assist institutions in evaluating their effectiveness. In all, 2,300 survey instruments were mailed to college alumni in the United States. Of…

The Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) is a relatively new, statewide performance assessment of students in grades 3, 5, and 8. When first administered in May of 1991, the MSPAP included a battery of performance assessment tasks designed to generate written or drawn responses to reading texts. This study evaluated selected…

This document contains information regarding the implementation of the Performance-Based Occupational Math Requirements Assessment (OMRA), which was designed to determine the math requirements for occupations that require training of less than a baccalaureate degree, and the research supporting the development of OMRA. The first section presents…

Lessons learned in changing a large-scale testing program are outlined. The redesigned Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) will be administered in spring 1994. Major changes for the verbal SAT section include more emphasis on critical reading, longer and more accessible passages, measurement of vocabulary in context, and use of double passages with two…

There are no available measures that assess family interaction from a comprehensive theoretical perspective. This study reports analyses of the measurement integrity of scores from a measure developed to offer a comprehensive assessment. The preliminary version of the Family Interaction Inventory (FII) is a 24-scale instrument with 5 items per…

A study focused on the development and pilot testing of a student satisfaction instrument, the results of which may be used to identify weaknesses and strengths of nontraditional degree programs. The literature review demonstrated little empirical evidence that could support positive or negative conclusions regarding student satisfaction within…

Educational refinement is defined as attempts to improve education through incremental improvements in the existing structure, while educational reform refers to change in the structure itself. A strong move is underway to reform education in the United States. It is argued that the development of assessments in support of educational reform…

Certain types of evaluation tools used in continuing education offerings limit the evaluation process and hence the value of the offering. Asking a yes/no question as an exclusive evaluation method for learners' achievement of objectives is inappropriate for certain types of offerings. Provision should be made for assessment of continuing…

One way for agencies to reduce fiscal stress is to minimize employee turnover. A project undertaken by San Bernardino County (California) to reduce employee turnover through the development, validation, and use of a non-traditional worker selection instrument (biographical inventory) is described. This project was aimed at the specific…

This manual is a guide to the Work Temperament Inventory (WTI), a self-report measure of 12 work temperaments that were originally identified and defined by the U.S. Department of Labor. The WTI consists of 134 items requiring a simple "like" or "dislike" response and a reading level of seventh grade. It can be completed in 15…

An English/reading steering committee was formed in the 1992-93 academic year at Miami-Dade Community College, in Florida, to recommend college-wide procedures and guidelines for including a writing sample on placement tests for entering students. The committee pilot tested a writing sample in two college-preparatory and one college-level English…

An interview measure of social-cognitive skills that have been found to discriminate aggressive and nonaggressive children was developed. The interview was administered to 25 second and third grade children identified by teachers as nonaggressive and 50 second and third grade children identified by teachers as aggressive and referred to an…

Kuwait University initially developed a new English placement test for students to help upgrade English language instruction throughout the country's educational system, through diagnosis of relative English proficiency levels of all secondary school graduates, determination of suitable admissions criteria for all higher education institutions,…