This report summarizes the results from the first year of a proposed three-year study into ability patterns for learning second languages in intensive training. The languages sampled were Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, German, French, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Before training, the students were administered these predictive…

The nature and quality of chapter-end tests accompanying social studies and science textbooks used in elementary school and middle school grades were studied through reviews by 3 judges of 91 tests. Identified shortcomings lead to the recommendation that these tests not be used intact in classroom assessment. (SLD)

This book provides basic skills and knowledge about assessment so that teachers can expand their ability to deal with appraisal problems in their own settings. The first section deals with the basic principles of assessment. The second section concerns creating and applying assessment tools. The third section reviews issues in understanding and…

The College Outcome Measures Program (COMP) objective test is used by colleges and universities to monitor the success of their undergraduate programs and as part of general assessment efforts. At Northeast Missouri State University (Kirksville), 102 students were identified as having suspect COMP scores based on the three criteria of: (1) COMP…

Work on the development of history performance assessments is described. So far, six complete sets of assessments in United States history have been developed as part of this project. Students are first assessed on their historical knowledge of the period through a short-answer test. They are then asked to write an essay explaining the positions…

To explore the suggestion that subjects modulate their reading strategies in accordance with how they expect to be tested, several test expectancies (multiple-choice, true/false, essay, and cloze) were implemented in addition to a non-specific test expectancy as a control. Subjects were 124 students at Purdue University (Indiana). After reading…

A study, conducted in a basic educational psychology course which serves as a gateway course to a teacher education program at Michigan State University, focused on the development of new knowledge while it taught about the educational research process and the subject being studied. A new format for objective testing, alternate-choice questions,…

The Rasch model for test analysis is a latent-trait model, which specifies the relationship between observable test performance and the unobservable traits or abilities assumed under test performance. In most cases, the test constructor has no clue as to whether the latent traits postulated by the model are indeed the abilities he wants to…

The Advanced Placement Program reports grades to students and colleges on a 1 to 5 point scale derived from combining the separate scores on the multiple-choice and free-response sections of Advanced Placement Examinations (ADPEs). In this study, predictions of grades in first-semester college biology courses were made based on students' separate…

Ten units on the world of construction and twelve units on carpentry are presented in this teacher's guide. The construction units include the following: safety; human relations in the shop; grooming and hygiene; hand tools; measurement; portable power tools, stationary power tools; fastening devices; and job application and interview. The…

Twenty-one general construction units are presented in this teacher's guide. The units are organized as follow: concrete finishing-two units (e.g., site preparation, pouring and finishing); plumbing-five units (e.g., pipe joints, angles, and flow; fixtures and valves); electrical wiring-five units (e.g., wiring procedures, planning a layout);…

There are three parts to this bibliography of tests for children aged two to six. First is an alphabetical index of the 89 tests with a graphic display to indicate which tests measure which of the following functions: (1) intellectual functions or attained skills; (2) oral language communication; (3) self-concept, personality, sociability,…

College students were presented with a series of four problems, each presented in four different formats: verbally, in abstract symbols, in negative abstract symbols, and in geometric figures. Problem-solving performance was evaluated in terms of the sequence of questions that a subject asks in order to solve a problem. They were also tested by…

Eleven papers on language testing deal with various psycholinguistic aspects ranging from the particular application of language aptitude tests to statistical methods of measurement and evaluation. Several chapters treat the difficulties involved in testing spoken language aptitude and attainment. Contributors to this volume include K. Brown, A.…

This news letter summarizes language research in composition, writing skills, and linguistic usage carried out over a three year period (Grades 4, 5, 6) with a sample of Swedish students. Subjective assessment of student compositions was carried out. The marks from these assessments will serve as criteria in evaluating various objective measures.…