In mathematics, Canadian students perform poorly, and enrollment in Canadian postsecondary institutions is low, particularly for women. Clearly, there is a need to understand the personal and social factors that influence mathematics achievement and academic choices. A. Bandura's self-efficacy theory (1977, 1982) implies that academic choices are…

In 1985, for the first time, Pennsylvania's student assessment program included measures of a higher order thinking skills goal termed Analytical Thinking. These tests utilize a decision-making model to assess such skills as drawing inferences, identifying appropriate information to gather before making a decision, analogical reasoning,…

This collection of essays addresses various themes related to developmental education in two-year colleges. The collection contains: (1) "Responding to Criticism of Developmental Education," by Arthur M. Cohen, which answers six criticisms commonly leveled against remedial education; (2) "The Politics of Remediation," by Dennis McGrath and Martin…

Three papers address issues in course evaluation and assessment of student performance in language awareness programs. The first paper concentrates on the formative evaluation of a course, during its design phase or in progress. It focuses on self-evaluation and two features of course design considered essential to course integrity: explicitness…

This study compares a self-assessment instrument and achievement test containing the same questions and administered at different levels of proficiency in order to investigate the reliability of second language self-assessment for student placement, diagnostic purposes, and achievement testing. Subjects were English as a Foreign Language students…

In 1985, reading and mathematics achievement tests were administered to nearly 15,000 fourth and eighth graders in Alaska. Educators comprising the Interpretive Panel developed a minimum and a desired level of performance. Scores below the minimum indicated a weakness; scores above it, a strength, and scores between, satisfactory achievement. The…

A number of hypotheses were tested concerning elements of Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) items that might affect the performance of blacks and whites differently. These elements were characteristics common to several items that otherwise measured different concepts. Seven general hypotheses were tested in the form of sixteen specific…

This paper is a combination of two separate essays, both of which examine changes in standards for student and teacher performance in various states over the past two years. Part 1 examines changes in standards for graduation from high school and the introduction or expansion of statewide programs of testing. Changes in the overall units for…

A study was undertaken to improve the measurement of small team performance within the Army. A provisional taxonomy of team-level performance functions was field-validated; criteria and measures of the functions were developed; and their reliability was examined. The provisional taxonomy, used for observing Army field training exercises, was used…

This resource package is the product of seven national demonstration projects funded by the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The package is intended to assist persons involved with refugee language training in developing programs that address the ORR's English language training goals. The guide is divided into sections addressing the…

Part 2 of the Alberta (Canada) Education's "Program of Studies for Elementary Schools 1978" (amended 1981), this bulletin describes the planned design, parts, and scoring of the grade six English language arts achievement test to be written in June 1988, and based on curriculum specifications for an integration of thinking and…

This report of a national colloquium on promoting community college student success summarizes group discussions and provides the texts of six colloquium presentations. Chapter 1, "Leadership Strategies for Student Success: Issues and Challenges in the Community College," reports on small and large group discussions which sought to define student…

This learning module, which is part of a staff development program for health occupations clinical instructors, presents techniques for assessing students' learning styles. It includes learning activities dealing with theories pertaining to learning styles; facts and principles of learning styles; the elements of learning style; and the use of…

A collection of reports and case studies of second language instruction for proficiency includes: "Language Teaching and the Quest for the Holy Grail" (Theodore V. Higgs); "The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines: A Historical Perspective" (Judith E. Liskin-Gasparro); "The Proficiency-Oriented Classroom" (Alice C. Omaggio);…

This paper presents the legal rationale for using the National Teacher's Examination (NTE) validation procedure, which was used in Arkansas to determine cut-off scores for teacher certification. A review is given of the decision, by the United States Supreme Court, upholding use of the NTE by South Carolina in that state's teacher certification…