This report describes the development of a Literacy Assessment Battery (LAB) for determining the relative efficiency with which adults can comprehend language by reading or listening. Development of the LAB included: the tryout with adults of two listening and reading tests designed for children; experimental studies of a decoding task involving…

A review of the professional and research literature suggests that definitions of critical reading remain tenuous and somewhat conflicting, largely because of the weakness in validity of current tests of critical reading. Ability to read or think critically appears to be closely related to general mental ability and may be dependent on literal…

In considering the development of language arts tests, a distinction can be made between statistical issues and ontological matters involving the objective existence and adequate characterization of the phenomenon being measured. Careful examination of standardized, norm-referenced tests and criterion-referenced tests in the areas of reading and…

Efforts to better the school Leaving Exams in English of a large African state lead to the belief that schools should do away with them completely. Where this cannot be done, a thorough, systematic evaluation of reading comprehension, structure, and usage should be combined with productive integrative evaluation. (SCC)

Two multiple choice forms of two cloze reading tests were developed from responses to the cloze forms by college undergraduates. These tests were investigated using the original keys, empirical keys, and option weighted keys. Reliability and validity data are reported. (Author/JKS)

Shows how third graders' error patterns on a reading test related to their cognitive styles. Suggests corrective teaching strategies to follow such categorization and analysis. (RL)

The cloze procedure, an established measure of reading achievement, requires language and reading skills not yet available to elementary school English-second-language pupils who are not literate in their vernacular. A modified cloze procedure, designed to overcome this problem, was found to correlate with traditional vocabulary and reading…

Construct validity of Survey of Reading Attitudes was investigated through a principal-factor analysis of the 88 items comprising the scale, along with measures of scholastic aptitude and reading skills (vocabulary and comprehension). Sample included 600 students selected so that 200 were obtained from each of the three intermediate grades.…

The extent and direction of curriculum bias in standardized reading achievement tests were examined. (Author)

Research indicates that the informal reading does not produce reliable enough information on reading ability to use it for individual placement of students, though it can be used to judge the achievement of groups. (Ed./JD)

Documents the attempts of the Legislative Committee of the South Carolina State Council of the International Reading Association to influence minimal competency testing legislation. (MKM)

This study assessed reading comprehension at different levels of second language learning. Adaptations of Carver's reading tests, a variation of the cloze procedure, were administered to 486 college students enrolled in beginning Spanish courses. Tests were found moderately reliable and were recommended for diagnostic purposes at beginning and…

Proposes, for the oral portion of the final (graduation) examination, the text as basic object, from which a section should be read aloud. A 15-point grading scale is described. Regarding content, performance in "informing,""interpreting and extrapolating," and "evaluating and discussion" are to be graded. (Text is in…

This investigation seeks to determine: the validity and reliability of cloze tests for measuring reading comprehension; the relation of cloze scores to difficulty levels of reading passages; the relation of cloze test performance to length of English training; and the merits of judgmental vs. random word deletion in test construction. (DB)

Reports on the newly devised optional Reading Comprehension Test in the high school graduation examination for Realschulen. Proposes a coordination of learning goals and teaching procedures with the various parts of the test. Offers suggestions for grading. Many examples are given. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)