Mastery learning strategies and criterion referenced measurement tools perform a selective function in the classroom. The selective approach within the philosophical role of schools is discussed in terms of limited educational employment, competition, talent distribution, and the suggested attributes of good testing. (CM)

Focuses on mental tests, test developers, and the social and historical context in which mental tests were developed in the United States and England. Suggests that the tests were produced in an intellectual and social climate heavily influenced by eugenicist theory and that more attention should be paid to research which casts doubts on the…

Focuses on the methods of establishing and maintaining content validity of criterion-referenced multiple-choice tests through refined item writing techniques. (Author)

Majority of testing programs is designed to demonstrate the superiority of performance of one student over another rather than evaluate the degree to which an individual has mastered specific skills. The necessity of changing this orientation is discussed. (RW)

Describes the first phase of a four-phase model. This phase is a simple interactive computer model for setting staff mix "target objectives." (Author/IRT)

Systematically reviewed the current status of outcome research. Specifically looked at trends in the publications sources, research focus, and methods of 365 counseling outcome studies. Results suggest that outcome research can provide a considerable knowledge base regarding numerous client concerns and various clinical interventions in…

Examined, through analysis of questions about conflict between separated parents (N=327), three hypotheses about the relationship among frequency and intensity response questions. Found associations among related intensity items possibly stronger than those among related frequency items; associated intensity items and associated frequency items…

Examines the value of the Public Library Association Planning Process and Output Measures. It is concluded that the planning process is wasteful, in that it ignores existing literature and addresses conditions that libraries cannot change. It is also argued that adoption of the output measures would be dangerous, as it involves serious egalitarian…

Presents aids to assist the design and monitoring of natural resource systems. Defines and describes hypergeometric systems; discusses monitoriing objectives and classifies monitoring programs. (MDH)

Many educators choose to believe that learning to read and write is as natural as learning to listen and speak, even though scientifically based research does not support their belief. However, most educators (as well as the public) believe that most students must be taught mathematics to learn it. Moreover, there is a body of research evidence…

Media effects should not be thought of as either isomorphic or fragmentary. Instead, the similarities and differences between them should be studied. This approach would offer the potential to determine not only what the media effects are, but how they occur. This is possible through the discovery of patterns in research theories and findings. To…

Discussed are nine questions regarding standard setting issues in educational testing: (1) Should normative or content-referenced standards be used? (2) Different standard setting methods yield different results. Does this finding present a problem? (3) Assess the adequacy of the grounding of various methods of standard setting in psychological…

A study was conducted to investigate issues of test validation by placing them in a context. The study examined the ways in which instances of "good" and "poor" writing have been identified in the marking of part of an English writing test that is given each year to incoming Arts Faculty students at the University of Hong Kong.…

The term measurement has been used in a number of different sub-areas of psychology without an explicit recognition of the commonalities and potential differences in measurement characteristics. Analysis of these measurement situations reveals that the one common factor is that a mechanism or discriminative process, that is a standard system of…

Drawing on work from a number of disciplines, this volume brings together experimental and theoretical information relevant to the problems of assessing children's reading comprehension. After a short introduction, the first section defines reading comprehension, presenting theoretical issues intended to provide an understanding of what is being…