This paper reports on research to study the benefit of a punctual self-directed learning experience with a hypermedia in the appropriation of a foreign language. Twenty-eight educational sciences students took a 55 item pretest on English notions. The students then engaged in a self-directed learning session using the CD-ROM, "L'anglais…

Responses of first-grade students, parents, and teachers in elementary schools in one school district to the "Writing to Read" (WTR) program were assessed for a version of the program implemented in mid-sized suburban schools. The WTR program is an IBM computer-based instructional system designed to develop the writing and reading skills…

Several studies have shown that, on average, women perform slightly better than men on free-response tests, while men perform slightly better on multiple-choice tests. Two advanced placement examinations, United States History (USH) and European History (EH), were chosen for study because previous studies have shown that sex differences on the…

For 1989, the ninth year of standardized norm-referenced achievement testing mandated by the Arizona State Legislature, the Arizona State Board of Education adopted the Riverside Basic Skills Assessment Program (RBSAP). According to the RBSAP, the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills are administered to students in grades 1 through 8, and the Tests of…

In recent years a movement has developed at the high school level to address issues of cost and educational improvement through Proficiency-Based Credit Assessment (PBCA). With PBCA, students can receive credit by demonstrating their proficiency without actually taking a course. A national mail survey conducted by the Utah State Office of…

This document presents 10 papers concerning the 1990 Trial State Assessment, which was restricted to the eighth-grade public school population in 37 states, the District of Columbia, and 2 U.S. territories. The following are the papers: (1) "A Critique of Sampling in the 1990 Trial State Assessment" (Bruce D. Spencer); (2)…

In January 1992, the National Council on Education Standards and Testing (NCEST) issued a report "Raising Standards for American Education," which called for the establishment of a national system of educational standards and assessments as a basis for comprehensive reform of U.S. education. This statement is a facsimile of the written…

In spring 1992, a mid-term assessment of English 10 students was conducted at Golden West College, in California, in order to compare four course placement methods. English 10, "Writing Essentials," is a nontransferrable course which focuses on paragraph writing and grammar review in order to prepare students for entry into English 100.…

A study was undertaken at Amarillo College (AC), in Texas, to evaluate the services offered by the college and generate data to provide a basis for personnel planning, the continuation of programs, and the development of new programs. Computerized surveys were developed to ensure increased efficiency in tabulating results and to standardize the…

At Virginia Union University, an historically black institution in Richmond, Virginia, assessment, testing, and faculty development are connected in a systematic approach designed to determine what students need to know, demonstrate how much students know, and decide what needs to be done to enhance student learning through teaching effectiveness.…

The relationship between gender and the race/geographic area of students and their Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score gains after participation in one of two test preparatory programs was studied. Black (n=181) and native-born Appalachian white (n=67) high school juniors were selected on the basis of high scores on the California Achievement…

The effects of standardized testing on instruction were studied in two school districts with high-stakes testing. The present study was part of a larger research project concerned with the effect of testing on instruction and student learning. A total of 360 teachers in grades 3, 5, and 6 in approximately 100 schools in two districts answered a…

In 1982, writing was added to the North Carolina Annual Testing Program. Results from the 1990-91 writing evaluations in grades 6 and 8 are reported. Tests were read by two readers, with an agreement rate of over 71%. In 1990-91, sixth-grade students were asked to describe a kitchen so that readers could picture it. Quality was determined on the…

Part of a larger project designed to produce a causal model of variables that impinge upon training interventions and influence adult learning, this research is concerned with learner attitudes toward the way employee training is delivered and the roles these convictions play in learning. Two research models served as a guide for comprehensive…

English and Spanish versions of a guide to testing reform are presented. The guide explains alternatives to standardized testing for educational assessment and shows how these new methods of evaluation will improve education. Standardized tests are used for an increasing number of purposes in the school system, but there is no proof that their use…