Describes interpretation technique for providing detailed feedback to students about their performance on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Students summarize their own performance on each major skill. The practical aspects of understanding the full use of routinely collected data make the approach desirable. (Author)

The condensed testimony of John Gordon Weiss, of The Committee for Fair and Open Testing, before the New Jersey State Senate and Assembly Education Committees, February 11, l981. Mr. Weiss focuses on misleading publicity and misscoring by the Educational Testing Service and on New York State's Truth-in-Testing legislation. (Editor/SJL)

Summarizes the basic skills testing programs of Pennsylvania State University, City University of New York, University System of Georgia, and the state of New Jersey. Discusses the use of test results, remedial courses offered, administration of the programs, and program evaluation. (JM)

The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) was administered to kindergarten-aged chilren to obtain General Cognitive Indices (CGI). A short form of the MSCA was developed to select six subtests that best predicted the CGI. (Author/BEF)

Kentucky is reintroducing the norm-referenced, multiple-choice test. Students will be given both performance and multiple-choice tests, beginning in spring 1997. Kean believes this multiple-measures approach is a common-sense way to provide the measurement-driven accountability that most states require. Neill deplores multiple-choice testing and…

Discusses issues associated with the use of holistic and analytic scoring methods in large-scale student assessments. Reviews the education literature and describes the recent Saskatchewan study comparing the results of the two scoring approaches applied to an achievement test taken by about 1,600 third graders. (SLD)

Outlines a framework for considering the validity of standards-based score interpretations and then considers the potential roles of different stakeholder groups and other participants in that process. Suggests study of a new standard-setting method, the "briefing book," which would describe alternative cut scores. (SLD)

A survey of 909 seventh-graders and their parents about their participation in a regional talent search, preparation, and feelings while taking the test, found students participated primarily to gain experience taking the test and to learn about their abilities. Students and parents reported taking the test was a positive experience. (Contains…

Deals with the methodology and practices for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Describes the EIA process, prediction process, alternative assessment methods, training needs, major activities, training provision and material, main deficiencies and the precautions, and real world training examples. (Author/YP)

Offers the Southern Examining Group chief examiner's personal assessment of the successes and problems encountered during the first year of the British General Certification of Secondary Education (GCSE) examination. Discusses both coursework and the examination itself. Concludes that if administrative problems can be overcome, the GCSE will…

Examines the policy initiatives of the National Curriculum and the National Assessment and Testing programs in Great Britain. Argues that school-based teacher assessment and centralized testing lend themselves to professional accountability and market accountability. Concludes that an official policy of advocating both methods will create…

Reports on a survey of community college faculty chairs and administrators to identify institutional initiatives to enhance student performance on the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST), assess faculty acceptance of and support for the CLAST mandate, and determine uses of aggregate CLAST scores in formative and summative evaluations. (DMM)

Describes the impact of North Carolina's testing program in chemistry on curriculum and instruction from teachers' perspectives. A random sample of 100 teachers received a questionnaire yielding a usable sample of 48, of which 8 were interviewed. Results suggest testing is making the chemistry curriculum more uniform across the state. It is not…

The influx of veterans into higher education after World War II led to the development of a monumental system for testing and evaluation of prior learning through military service. The assumptions of the process continue to have implications for the assessment of adult life experience and its integration in college curricula. (SK)