Presents chapters four, five, and six of "Toward Civilization: A Report on Arts Education," by the National Endowment for the Arts. Topics include "The Case for Testing and Evaluation in the Arts,""Teachers of the Arts," and "Research Priorities in Arts Education." (GEA)

A hypothetical letter compares the profession of cooking to the profession of teaching. The response from a university administrator describes a weekend conference of the Curriculum Study Commission in California on the topics of testing, public perceptions of the teaching profession, and the relationship between curricula and students. (MT)

Describes how a combination of mapping and techniques can be used as a basis for measuring and analyzing student locational awareness of California. The case study analysis reveals that there was considerable variation in students' accuracy and precision in locating places. Includes tables and maps. (TRS)

A survey of 68 suburban middle and junior high schools in New York revealed policies and practices used during the last week of school. Among the practices reported were offering regular classes; conducting testing; presenting awards or "moving up" assemblies; and holding athletic events, picnics, and other special activities. (PGD)

Multiple-choice examinations were given three times each year in a pediatric residency training program at New York Medical College. The test scores correlated highly with subsequent scores on the intraining examination of the American Board of Pediatrics. A comprehensive approach to evaluating pediatric residents is feasible. (SW)

Author examines some of the fundamental issues raised by the proposals for a 16 plus examination. (Editor/RK)

Author looks at the controversy over school-leaving examinations in America. (Editor/RK)

Investigates the role that differing mastery criteria would have on test performance of different groups of students enrolled in the same course. (Author/RK)

Four tenets are described that will aid an instructor in planning an evaluation system. An introductory psychology course supplies specificity. (Editor/LBH)

Presents some specific questions that educators ought to raise about standardized tests and some alternatives to standardized tests. (Author/IRT)

This report asserts that rapid changes in many areas, such as technology and communications, marked the 20th century, the first century of ability testing. Predictions about the second century of testing seem difficult in such a context. Yet, looking back to the turn of the last century, E. Kirkpatrick (1900) in his American Psychological…

Computer-based assessment appears to offer the promise of radically improving both how assessments are implemented and the quality of the information they can deliver. However, as many states consider whether to embrace this new technology, serious concerns remain about the fairness of the new systems and the readiness of states (and districts and…

This paper focuses on the role of prior learning assessment in the life long learning of adults in the United States. The introduction stresses the increasing importance of life long learning in American society. The second section reviews prior learning and its assessment. Prior learning is formally defined as learning which has been acquired…

This is a study of the relationship between placement test scores and academic achievement, as measured by the gain in placement pre- and post-test scores after students completed a semester of English instruction. Two placement tests were administered to a cohort of students enrolling in community college English courses. Pre- and post-placement…