Discusses the role of assessment in determining whether the investment in an early start in a foreign language has been worthwhile, suggesting that it is important for reasons, such as feedback to parents and the public, informing national policy development, and school self evaluation. Describes an independent evaluation of modern languages in…

Describes the process for generating, from a text, three types of multiple-choice vocabulary cloze tests: one based on n-th word deletion, one using user-specified frequency ranges, and one based on a particular word class. The article discusses the extent to which good test material can be produced realistically by computer-aided systems and the…

Discusses a longitudinal experimental study concerned with the second-language acquisition of argument structure and its relationship with case theory. French and English intermediate learners of Spanish as a second language were tested three times over a period of eight months on their knowledge of dative experiencers. Results indicate that the…

Describes six rubrics for appraising the assessments teacher interns create and use in student teaching. The rubrics help teacher educators make judgements about student teachers' knowledge and skill in developing assessments. The six criteria are: alignment with learning outcomes, clarity/understanding of assessment, reliability, feasibility,…

Argues that external cues provide affective information that influence processing strategy and, therefore, examination performance. Notes the differences in performance for two midterm examinations, identical, except that they were printed on blue and red paper. Discusses a method for appropriately adjusting scores to control for form effects.…

The State University of New York College at Fredonia undertook a long-term assessment of its general-education curriculum. The experience confirmed that dedicated college faculty can design and implement ambitious tests to assess general learning based on curriculum design and goals, but that it is very difficult to administer them over time with…

A study in interlanguage pragmatics investigated the effect of three types of rejoinder (positive, negative, absent) on non-native informants' choices of strategies to perform complaints, requests, and apologies. Results show strategy choice differentially affected by rejoinder type, suggesting that findings from studies using different production…

An approach to public-management instruction based on the classroom use of work groups or teams is described. Conditions conducive to high performance teamwork, a model team-learning instructional activity sequence, team selection and group dynamics, the reward or grading system, use of mini-tests, application-oriented activities, and peer…

Notes that the microgenetic method has revealed new information about normally achieving children's cognition, and reviews data from three different microgenetic studies. Concludes that there are similar sequences of strategy change, similar rates of strategy change, and similar frequency of strategy discovery and use in children with and without…

Provides information on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). States that the overview of 1997 NAEP Arts Assessment results is disappointing within music education. Discusses the National Council for Education Statistics summary data tables. Presents three issues related to interpreting the tables and issues involved in secondary…

Discusses online testing using the inQsit[C] Web-based software system, a system that enables an individual to create an assessment module, administer that module to gather responses, and perform simple analyses with responses. Describes how to create an online test using inQsit[C]; administering the test; grading the tests; concerns/problems…

Standardized test results are skewed by family socioeconomic status. Until top-down, corporate-style testing is eliminated, genuine reforms like cooperative learning and multi-age classrooms will be doomed. Citizens should learn about local tests, talk to neighbors, speak out at school board meetings, write legislators, and challenge proponents to…

This article examines whether changes in the ethnic minority composition of the standardization sample for the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT-III) can be used as the sole explanation for children's better test scores when compared to an earlier edition. Analysis suggests other factors may explain improved performance. (Contains…

An eight-year cross-sectional study analyzed the self-esteem and both mathematics and reading attainments of eight cohorts of Year 2 and Year 6 children from five randomly selected primary schools within one Local Education Authority. Presents the results. Addresses the possible link between national testing and self-esteem. (CMK)

Examines the transferability of five Japanese indirect request strategies to corresponding English request contexts. Findings indicate that the Japanese strategies were differentially transferable and the transferability of each first-language request strategy was determined by interaction between the politeness and conventionality encoded in each…