Eight criteria developed by the National Forum on Assessment (Washington, DC) as guidelines for evaluating existing and proposed assessment systems at any level are listed. Criteria call for clear definitions and fair assessments to assist educators and policymakers in improving instruction. Continuous review and improvement are recommended. (SLD)

Effects of numbers of experts (NOEs) and common items (CIs) on the scaling of cutting scores from expert judgments were studied for 11,917 physicians taking 2 forms of a medical specialty examination. Increasing NOEs and CIs reduced error; beyond 5 experts and 25 CIs, error differences were small. (SLD)

Ways to use standard-setting data to adjust cutoff scores on examinations are reviewed. Ten sources of information to be used in determining standards are listed. The decision to modify passing scores should be based on these types of information and consideration of adverse impact or rating process irregularities. (SLD)

The education establishment's approach to set Chapter 1 standards at or near the legislative minimum for program improvement has unanticipated outcomes that do not advance the improvement effort. These outcomes and the dilemma between the negative aspects of being identified and the positive objective of program improvement are considered. (SLD)

Results of the fall 1993 administration of part two of the Medical Council of Canada's Evaluating Examination for 744 candidates provided evidence of the consistency of the pass/fail and cutting score definitions for the objective- structured clinical examination stations used across examiners. These results support the validity of this…

Defines four essential elements of a system of educational standards: (1) common, rigorous student achievement standards; (2) state-administered assessments; (3) explicit rewards for achievement; and (4) opportunity to reach the standards. Practices to ensure these conditions and enact a system based on these elements are discussed. (SLD)

The influence of judges' knowledge on standard setting for competency tests was studied with 17 judges who took an economics teacher certification test while setting competency standards using the Angoff procedure. Judges tended to set higher standards for items they answered correctly and lower standards for items they answered incorrectly. (SLD)

Describes examinee-centered method for setting multiple cutscores on a test involving both objective and extended-response items. Judges evaluate a representative sample of examinee performance using a rating scale that is defined in terms of performance standards, and these ratings are linked to examinee's test scores to generate a functional…

Reviews two models for assessment, the measurement model and the standards model, their underlying assumptions about learners, and the resulting implications for performance-based test development. Discusses the current testing debate, defines terms such as "authentic assessment" and "performance-based assessment," and…

This article presents an interview with Dr. John Trim, which was recorded at his home in Cambridge on January 21, 2005, not long after his 80th birthday in October 2004. Although he would not consider himself a language tester, Dr. Trim has followed the trends in language assessment since the 1960s and his own work, particularly as a coauthor of…

A non-arbitrary method for the identification and scale setting of latent variables in general structural equation modeling is introduced. This particular technique provides identical model fit as traditional methods (e.g., the marker variable method), but it allows one to estimate the latent parameters in a nonarbitrary metric that reflects the…

The main contribution of this paper is a proposal for a universal pedagogical pattern categorization based on teaching values and activities. This categorization would be more sustainable than the arbitrary categorization implied by pedagogical pattern language themes. Pedagogical patterns from two central patterns languages are analyzed and…

Education is a global enterprise. It is increasingly assumed that an "international perspective" is required to comprehend and relate this world scale enterprise to national, regional and local practice. The phrase is used frequently and generally without an exact definition of meaning. This article explores how the concept of an "international…

To review and analyze the scope of practice of health promotion services and draft standards of quality indicators for higher education communities, the American College Health Association (ACHA) initiated a Task Force on Health Promotion in Higher Education in May 1996. Members of the task force developed a National Survey on Health Promotion and…

The "Science Assessment and Item Specifications for the 2009 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)" (the "Specifications") translates the "Science Framework for the 2009 NAEP" (the "Framework") into guidelines for developing items and for developing the assessment as a whole. The primary purpose of the "Specifications" is to provide…