The aim of this study was to develop a means of tracking the reading performance of low-progress readers on a weekly basis, so as to inform instructional decision-making. A representative sample of 261 primary school children from Years 1 to 5 were tested on 21 different text passages taken from a developing passage reading test, the Wheldall…

"Education Week" provides a weekly review of state and federal K-12 education policy news. This special issue of "Education Week" includes the following articles: (1) Below the Surface; (2) School Leaders Seek Innovative Solutions to Improve Student Performance (Steven Dowling); (3) A Decade of Effort (Lynn Olson); (4) A Small Wonder (Debra…

State policies to equalize educational spending, cap bond and levy rates, require common teacher salary schedules, and consolidate school districts are geared toward improving quality and attempting to resolve problems of inefficiency. However, despite the use of state policy to equalize educational quality, educational gaps persist. Yu and Lau…

The purpose of this study was to develop a test of academic readiness for first grade instruction in Thailand. Test of Academic Readiness (TAR) consists of six domains: verbal, visual, memory, math, logical, and general knowledge. Two pilot studies were carried out and a main study tested items in those domains. Rasch model was used to assess the…

A pilot study explored the nature of the relationship between test and classroom evidence and considered how these different sources of evidence were used in assessing and promoting student growth and development in reading. Test estimates of third-grade children in two public elementary programs in New York City were compared with estimates of…

Between April 1985 and January 1988, the Educational Testing Service evaluated Al Manaahil (The Sources), a television series in reading for Arab children. The series, produced and broadcast in Jordan, contained 65 half-hour shows in Modern Standard Arabic for children in grades 1 through 4. More than 5,000 children in Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia…

This booklet contains the practice tests for the Sixth-grade Ohio Proficiency Tests. Student work on these practice tests helps the teacher evaluate how well the student understands the subjects of writing, reading, mathematics, citizenship, and science. The writing test consists of two writing tasks based on one stimulus passage, and the reading,…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a survey of national trends in educational achievement, is attempting to expand its inclusion of students with disabilities or limitations that have previously caused them to be excluded from the assessment. The study described was a precursor to the 1996 changes in NAEP inclusion procedures.…

Celebrating the Illinois Reading Council's 25th anniversary year, this 2-part monograph presents 11 papers on diverse aspects of reading and literacy. Papers in the first part, called "Historical Reflections and Challenges," are: "The Illinois Reading Council Celebrates 25 Years" (John W. Logan); "The 'Illinois Reading…

A study compared the comprehension abilities of readers when reading narrative and expository discourse. It was designed to investigate how middle-level high-achieving and low-achieving readers comprehend the two discourse genres, testing the readers' comprehension of main ideas in the text under both conditions. Also examined was whether…

This report of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) Student Performance Results lists performance results on the TAAS and the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS), an exit examination, alphabetically by school district for each grade level tested (grades 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 for the TAAS and grades 11 and 12 for the initial…

This sampler discusses California's English-language arts assessment program and presents examples of middle grades reading assessments, writing assessments, and writing prompts. The first section of the sampler takes an integrated look at the changes which make up the new English-language arts assessment. The second section presents the scoring…

The 251 reading tests cited in this bibliography are used to assess various reading skills such as comprehension, oral reading, silent reading, and independent reading. Some of the reading tests are part of overall achievement batteries. This bibliography does not include reading readiness or diagnostic tests. Although grades kindergarten through…

The 111 spelling tests described in this bibliography include those that assess spelling only and test batteries in which spelling is one of several skills being evaluated. Both achievement and diagnostic tests are described, as well as tests for special populations such as visually impaired persons and Spanish speakers. Occupational tests and GED…

This theme issue of "Research and Creative Activity" features six articles on Indiana University faculty whose work on various campuses continues to broaden and advance knowledge about "Literacy and Learning". The articles are as follows: "New Ways to Teach Reading" (about the work of John McEneaney, Assistant…