This Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII project was designed to increase English Language proficiency in limited English proficient students in Lau categories A, B, and C (non-English speaking, English as a second language, or bilingual). The intensive, 9-month program included both English language instruction and teacher training…

A brief overview of the Diploma Examinations Program conducted by Alberta Education during 1989-90 is provided. All grade 12 students in Alberta are required to write at least one diploma examination, either English 30 or English 33, to receive a high school diploma. The Grade 12 Diploma Examinations Program is intended to develop and maintain…

Sixty-three commercially-available instruments for measuring the outcomes of adult literacy programs are reviewed. Tests of basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills; oral English proficiency of English as a second language students; affective outcomes; and critical thinking are included. The instruments include paper-and-pencil tests,…

Recent research indicated that a field dependent cognitive style, often culture-based, can cause problems for learners of English as a Second Language (ESL). English language ability and learning styles, and field dependence (FD), and field independence, were tested in 157 adult Korean and Japanese ESL learners in university and…

Reading skills are crucial to students learning and using English as a second language for academic purposes. Teachers can construct valid reading tests if they approach the task with care and focus on the test's ability to measure construct rather than face validity. In reading tests, the crucial elements of test design affecting validity are (1)…

Dutch secondary schools offer educational programs on four tracks, vocational and nonvocational. At the end of each program, a final examination is administered, with the test content areas determined by law, by the schools, and by the student's individual program. Assessment is by means of a written, nationally administered exam and…

A bulletin for teachers and students provides specific information about the design, construction, and scoring of Alberta's Grade 9 French Language Arts Achievement Test that was administered in June 1986. An introductory section describes the purpose, nature, and administration of the achievement testing program in general, the students tested,…

To determine whether students enrolled in one Ontario region's early French immersion (FI) programs developed English reading skills comparable to their non-FI peers, a monitoring process was begun in the first FI program year (grade 3) in which formal English instruction is given. The FI cohort and a control group matched for mental abilities and…

The Functional Academic Skills Tests (FAST) was developed to measure the basic skills of mathematics, reading, and writing in teachers employed by the Houston, Texas, Independent School District. The three content domains were drawn from the Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST). These sets of skills, or proficiencies, were amplified by supporting…

Compiled for educators who evaluate limited-English proficient (LEP) students, this directory lists over 200 tests available in 19 languages in addition to English. Tests are listed alphabetically by language, with a description that provides the name of the instrument, area tested, purpose of the test, grade or age level for which the test is…

The manual for administration of the Chinese Proficiency Test contains an overview of the program, including: (1) its history, content, and format; (2) its primary focus and uses; (3) administration procedures, including registration, ordering the test, reporting scores, and billing; (4) the interpretation of test scores based on normative data…

In order to assess the locally developed curricula, the Cherry Creek School District of Colorado developed several objective-referenced tests focused on objectives that instructional staff have identified as important for all district students. The local assessments are designed to work in conjunction with the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBSs) to…

An overview of contemporary assessment practices often used with Latino students is provided, and it is maintained that these practices often overlook the influence of culture and linguistic proficiency on cognitive performance. A new approach, the Sentence Verification Technique (STV), is proposed as an alternative method to assess the linguistic…

This guide to Spanish language proficiency standards is intended to aid the University of Minnesota's staff in developing curricula and tests for the university's language courses, and to help foreign language teachers outside the university understand the university's language programs. The standards are geared toward the language skills expected…

This guide to French language proficiency standards is intended to aid the University of Minnesota's staff in developing curricula and tests for the university's language courses, and to help foreign language teachers outside the university understand the university's language programs. The standards are geared toward the language skills expected…