Tools used in scaling proficiency scores from the Second International Assessment of Educational Progress (IAEP) are described. The second IAEP study, conducted in 1991, was an international comparative study of the mathematics and science skills of samples of 9- and 13-year-old students from 20 countries. This paper focuses on part of the second…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has measured students' progress toward higher achievement since 1969, assessing students in public and nonpublic schools in various subject areas on a regular basis. The NAEP has also collected background information about students to provide a context for interpreting assessment results and…

Analyses of the cognitive activity displayed by students on existing innovative assessments in science were conducted. The project has worked with pilot alternative assessment programs in Connecticut and California to document the match or mismatch between the skills and processes that the assessment is designed to tap and those actually elicited.…

The Massachusetts Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) was established in 1985 to compare academic achievement among schools and districts and to give curriculum and instructional guidance. Biennially, it tests all students in grades 4, 8, and 12 in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. Using a matrix sampling design, each student…

This volume includes abstracts and abstractors' critiques of 15 published research reports related to elementary, secondary and college science teaching and learning. Topics include: (1) assessing attitudes toward energy conservation; (2) persuasive communications; (3) questioning techniques; (4) teachers' verbal exposition on student…

To comply with state law, the results of the South Carolina Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP) are reported for the 1989-90 school year. Accomplishments included: (1) administering the readiness test--the Cognitive Skills Assessment Battery (CSAB)--to all first graders; (2) administering criterion-referenced basic skills tests to all students…

Two studies investigated the performance of Florida high school seniors on the Tests of General Educational Development (GED Tests). The GED Test Battery, as revised in 1980, consists of 290 items in 5 subject areas (writing, social studies, science, reading, and mathematics). In the first study, the performance of 1,200 Florida students was…

In the 21st century, the population will need to possess basic skills in the areas of communication and higher problem-solving as well as have scientific and technological literacy; however, results from assessments by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) have indicated weak student performance in the area of thinking skills,…

In considering science in afterschool, research was reviewed and is presented in this document on how students learn science; how science is assessed, particularly inquiry science; recommended practices for afterschool science; and current afterschool science programs. Databases such as ERIC, Wilson Web, and PsychINFO were searched using…

Describes findings of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), on which eighth-grade U.S. scores were above average in science and below average in mathematics. Concludes that teachers are vital to raising standards by analyzing teaching practices, reforming professional development programs, implementating new teaching…

The Ohio sixth-grade proficiency test is intended to measure a student's literacy level and basic competency in writing, reading, mathematics, citizenship, and science. This guide is designed to help parents prepare their fifth- and sixth-grade children for this proficiency test. An introduction, "Important Information," outlines three…

Medical school admissions and performance in 10 medical schools were assessed in relation to prediction using conventional measures. The origin of the research was an attempt to determine the effects of affirmative action on academic medicine. For the 10 schools, admissions decisions were analyzed, and an attempt was made to model statistically…

The Pre-Postsecondary Program (PPSP) was conducted during the 1974-75 school year at four Ohio secondary schools in order to offer a career exploration program for students in grades 11 and 12 that would be related to the high school content and provide a foundation for careers in the students' areas of interest. The report presents the evaluation…

Presents results of a study that examines the development and use of computer simulations for high school science instruction and for integrated laboratory and computerized tests that are part of the biology matriculation examination in Israel. Eleven implications for teaching are presented. (MDH)

As part of its mission, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) is committed to the development of the community of researchers who work in the area of assessment both nationally and internationally. The association also has a commitment to provide policymakers with the types of data and analyses that will…