The two most commonly used language proficiency tests offered in the United States by foreign countries' chambers of commerce are those of Spain and France. The Spanish test has been introduced recently and has no rigorous and uniform set of rules governing its administration at all centers. Issues arising from the administration of this exam…

This study was designed to determine if the final grade in college biology at a suburban community college was a true measure of student's knowledge. One hundred and seventy undergraduates taking a semester course in biology took part in the study. This population was randomly separated into a control, placebo, and experimental group. The progress…

The syllabus of an introductory course in linguistics intended as a foundation for studies in bilingual/bicultural education, Alaskan native languages, and anthropology is presented. The course was designed for a program for teachers of Yupik as a second language. The course objectives are to introduce students to the internal structure of…

Students' perceptions concerning quality in education, the norm-reference approach to student evaluation, and the problem of assessing how much learning has occurred are discussed. To one sample of students, quality meant desirable institutional characteristics and outcomes concerning their own learning and development. Institutions are likely to…

A study examined the differential grading that occurs in basic speech communication classrooms and attempted to identify predictors for the differences in the grades that male and female students receive. Subjects were 47 women and 48 men randomly selected from an undergraduate speech course at a private midwestern college. Subjects'…

The primary purpose of this report is to describe the practices and procedures used by school districts to assess and grade student achievement. In April of 1988, the Educational Research Service conducted a nationwide survey of the grading and reporting practices and procedures using a stratified random sample of public school districts. The…

A method of sex-fair performance evaluation is presented which can be used in coeducational secondary school physical education classes. This method tallies specific skill areas associated with athletic activities, disregarding such concepts as student improvement, level of competition, participation, effort, and exact skill measurement.…

The Alberta Essay Scales were developed to assist teachers in the grading of essays. They represent a standard based on written compositions at the 12th grade level in 1964 to be compared with current composition writing achievement. A scale for mechanics in English and one for writing style and content are defined through model essays and…

This bulletin describes the technical adequacy of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination and includes discussions on establishing test reliability, test validity, passing scores, and protecting the test from cultural or ethnic bias. Chapter I describes the development of the examination: (1) development, identification, and validation of…

Grading standards in departments and school divisions at Stanford University were analyzed, along with grading trends, and the classroom performance of students with different majors. From 1975-1976 to 1981-1982, the proportion of A grades decreased, while B and C grades increased. In 1976, D grades were reinstituted. Considerable variation in…

Subjects in the study were 29 black and 73 white introductory psychology students, 90% of whom identified themselves as prospective teachers. As part of their classroom work, these students were randomly assigned to read an essay on urban life. Attached to the essay was one of two cover letters describing the theme's writer. These cover letters…

The Guided Independent Study Program, an individually paced, master-oriented teaching method for serving undergraduate and graduate nontraditional students at the College of St. Scholastica, Minnesota, is described. A number of independent study courses in psychology, gerontology, and education have been offered to students who cannot come to the…

This module is one in a series of seven focused on skills vocational teachers need to develop and manage programs that are performance-based and fully individualized. Designed to allow for individualization of a teacher education program, these modules supplement those prepared by the National Center for Research in Vocational Education for…

Information on the educational systems of 52 foreign countries and recommendations for student placement into U.S. graduate programs are presented. For each country a diagram is presented to illustrate the demarcations between primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, and explanations are provided on grading systems, secondary school certificates,…

This group of readings describes the university examination system in India, and suggests improvements which can be implemented within the current framework of the system. The papers are grouped into six sections: (1) descriptions of the evolution of the undergraduate examinations in India and their present status; (2) discussions of the…