This yearbook contains selected papers presented at the twenty-third and twenty-fourth annual meetings of the North Central Reading Association, held in October of 1981 and 1982. Papers in the yearbook include: "History of Adult Reading Programs" (Clarence Anderson); "About Creativity and Study Skills" (Mark E. Thompson); "Recent Changes in…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) survey of reading achievement is assessed, its objectives are discussed, and recommendations for future testing are made. It appears that a great deal has been learned about the nation's levels of reading achievment from the four NAEP reading assessments conducted from 1970 to 1984. NAEP…

To determine the most accurate group-administered measure of reading achievement, a study explored variations of the cloze and maze procedures with second grade students who were native English speakers or who were being taught English as a second language. Subjects--108 second grade volunteers (1% American Indian, 49% Asian, 39.8% Black, 1%…

In a question and answer format, this guide for parents discusses important issues about standardized reading tests, including the following: (1) scoring systems are obscure; (2) grade level equivalency scores are educationally inaccurate and misleading to child and parent; (3) standardized reading tests are meant to compare groups and not to…

The passage dependence of an item refers to the degree to which it is necessary to read the associated passage in order to be able to answer that item correctly. This paper studies the value of obtaining data about passage dependence in the construction of reading comprehension achievement tests. Passage dependence indices were examined in several…

Test validity was studied in nine subtests of a kindergarten screening battery used to predict reading comprehension for children up to five years after entering kindergarten. The independent variables were kindergarteners' scores on the: (1) Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test; (2) Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test; (3) Detroit Tests of Learning…

Focusing on the important role that reading diagnostic reports (RDRs) play in the diagnostic/prescriptive process, a study evaluated RDRs at 26 reading centers to gain insights into the commonalities of RDRs at American institutions and to identify new trends in communicating perceived strengths and weaknesses in reading to parents and educators.…

Although informal reading inventories are widely used, they are not without their shortcomings, regardless of whether they have been published commercially or have been constructed by the teacher. There are at least two significant weaknesses in inventories developed by the teacher: (1) passages selected randomly from the graded basal readers that…

A study investigated the reading comprehension levels, aptitude scores, high school graduation status, and years of education of United States Navy recruits and the relationship among these variables. Data for the study were obtained from the monthly computer managed instruction system reports on Navy recruit characteristics, which in turn is…

Basic skills training in the United States Navy has become increasingly important as the quality of the recruit population has declined and the job demands faced by enlisted personnel have expanded. This training is aimed at that group of recruits who cannot read well enough to be successful in service schools. The Navy first initiated programs…

Noting the growing interest in recent years in the use of mentalistic measures in studying the reading process, this paper draws upon findings of studies conducted at the Hebrew University in Israel to show how mentalistic measures have been used effectively in reading research. Following a discussion of the unique role mentalistic data can play…

The Testing Center at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) in North Carolina, Educational Testing Service, and the College Board are participating jointly in pilot and field testing Computerized Placement Tests (CPTs). CPTs, which assess communications, reading, and mathematics skills, have the following benefits: (1) students may take the…

Based on an integrated approach to reading instruction, this report of the 1985 Manitoba Reading Assessment includes a reading survey test, with an individual measure of listening-speaking and oral and silent reading performance, a reading interest inventory, and a teacher questionnaire. The 1985 Assessment also re-administered selected items from…

This is one of a series of reports which provide definitions of and descriptive data on the variables used in the Comparative Study of Phase IV of the Individually Guided Education (IEG) Evaluation Project. Phase IV investigated three curriculum programs specifically designed to be compatible with instructional programming for the individual…

The Horizons-Upward Bound Program assists students from low income families who have shown a potential for academic achievement to conclude high school and to go on to higher education. It provides participants with services and enrichment activities in high school English, mathematics, reading, and science. The analysis of pre- and…