The Wisconsin Student Assessment System (WSAS) "Knowledge & Concepts" examinations were designed, under legislative mandate, to measure student knowledge in the areas of reading, language arts (including writing), mathematics, science, and social studies. This summary report provides information about the standard setting activities…

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

The current paper presents the results of a large-scale, national, reading and writing curriculum survey and evaluates the alignment of the survey results to the reading and writing skills measured by the new SAT®. It was hypothesized that the skills measured by the writing and critical reading sections of the new SAT would be aligned to the…

The development and administration of practical skills tests in science as part of the Second Science Study of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement are described. Scoring and sampling for Hungary, Israel, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the United States are reviewed. (SLD)

Traditional assessment, grading, and student-recognition practices are partly responsible for the low levels of student effort pervading American schools. Two improvement-focused systems for student accountability and recognition that have been field tested are presented: The Incentives for Improvement Program (Baltimore, Maryland) and the Windham…

The purpose of this empirical study was to determine if there was a measurable difference on the content and organization portion of a narrative writing test by a sample of students taught by teachers who received professional development (PD) as compared to students whose teachers did not have this training and thus their students did not receive…

A Computer Tutor for Writers (CTW) was designed to provide procedural facilitation to high school students while they learn the skills and knowledge associated with composition writing. Four previous year-long studies helped identify how to facilitate specific elements of the writing process. The CTW was designed to combine lessons learned from…

Given the restructuring of curriculum and instruction and the changing state of assessment in Virginia and nationally, a study group of 22 Virginia teachers from elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools throughout the state chose to examine and revise their assessment practices. They wanted to reflect changes in thinking and practice…

At the root of the performance assessment movement is fairly widespread dissatisfaction with high-stakes multiple-choice tests. Many critics of multiple-choice tests argue that to improve instruction, tests themselves will have to improve. Hundreds of schools around the country are already experimenting with performance assessments, and many…

This book is designed to provide the occupational teacher with knowledge of the basic principles and methods of measurement, test construction, and evaluation that can be applied in the classroom and used to assess student progress. Because no one occupation receives most of the attention, the book can be readily used in general occupational…

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…

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was established in 1987 and charged with the mission of improving the quality of teaching and public education. The National Board certification system involves three critical elements: (1) standards setting; (2) assessment instruments; and (3) professional development. This Digest…

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…

This book reports the analyses and recommendations of a study group formed by the National Research Council to develop conceptual guidelines that make content the driving force in mathematics assessment reform and to explore a variety of related measurement and policy issues. The document focuses on three principles that underlie effective…

One year before the National Education Summit, Congress had reauthorized the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and created a National Assessment Governing Board to develop and oversee policy for the NAEP. In conjunction with the call to establish national education goals, efforts are being made to establish standards for…