Student performance in an introductory soils class, Principles and Practices of Soils, at Texas Tech University was evaluated for 15 semesters as a function of several high school and college variables on course success. The variables evaluated were SAT score, percentile rank in high school class, high school chemistry background, major, gender,…

A sequential-touching task was used to investigate whether 14-month-old infants can rapidly change how they categorize a set of objects, recognizing new groupings of objects they had previously categorized in a different way. When presented with a collection of objects that could be categorized by shape (balls vs. blocks) or material (soft vs.…

The authors conducted a systematic review of studies examining correlations between assessments of function not obtained using self-report and those obtained using performance-based measures for community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Articles for this review were identified using electronic searching in MEDLINE, CINHAL, and AGELINE and…

This report presents general criteria for authentic pedagogy, instructional activities rooted in a primary concern for high standards of intellectual quality, as well as more specific standards that can be used to judge the quality of assessment tasks, classroom lessons, and student performance. Examples are given of tasks, lessons, and student…

A sound performance evaluation system uses a multitude of assessment methods to gather information and data about the performance of an individual. Four models are described that have been used with multiple assessment results to make decisions about performance. In a compensatory model, weak performance on one measure or attribute can be traded…

This collection of articles is the third in a series on assessment produced by Finger Lakes Community College (New York). It deals with classroom assessment as an ongoing process that can be of significant value to teachers as well as to students. Assessment at the college and assessment in the classroom in general are explored. Articles include:…

This paper describes a testing program that established job-related standards of performance and testing procedures for the technician position within a gas transportation company. New standards were being established in response to safety concerns stemming from investigations that identified training inadequacy as a cause of accidents. The job…

Authentic assessment differs from traditional paper-and-pencil assessment in that it is designed to reflect students'"real world" experience. Authentic assessments may assume a variety of forms (including demonstrations, oral interviews/presentations, simulations, self-assessments, and peer/instructor evaluations); however, their focus is always…

How well a combination of junior/senior undergraduate grade point average (GPA), scores on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), and writing sample scores can predict success for students seeking a Master's degree in education was studied. Success was determined for the study by the student's graduate GPA and whether or not the student graduated from…

The study described in this paper is part of an effort to improve understanding of the science assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). It involved the coding of all the items in the 1996 NAEP science assessments, which included 45 blocks (15 each for grades 4, 8, and 12) and over 500 items. Each of the approximately…

A study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of using video as a method of beginning teacher observation. In addition, the study investigated whether or not trained observers (raters) could score beginner teacher performance videotapes reliably using a 4-point holistic scoring scale. To this end, the researcher collected 24 beginning…

This handbook assists educators in improving the links among civic education curriculum, instruction, and assessment. First-person accounts detailing teachers' thoughts present a basis for tracing the evolution of assessment tasks and rubrics for evaluation. Samples of student work are provided to stimulate thinking and discussion. Activities for…

This paper contributes to the body of knowledge on new forms of assessment by examining the impact of teacher involvement in the scoring of standards-based performance assessments. Researchers studied 250 of 500 teachers who participated in a New York state project to pilot new state assessment prototypes. The National Center for Restructuring…

The FACETS equating model meets the complex requirements for equating writing performance assessment across both raters and prompts. This study is based on an equating of the 1996 writing performance assessment in the Minneapolis Public Schools (Minnesota). Raters and prompts were equated simultaneously using the FACETS model. About 3,000 fifth…

Providing a thorough grounding on important topics in elementary school literacy for experienced teachers and graduate students early in their programs, this book addresses a number of critical issues such as grouping and reading instruction, emergent literacy, learning to read and write with at-risk children, developing vocabulary, learning in…