The relationship of differential item functioning (DIF) to item difficulty on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was examined, based on data from nine recent administrations of the test from June 1986 through December 1987. This pool of information includes item statistics on 765 verbal and 540 mathematical items computed for subgroups of White,…

Three major studies on English and native language use in the classrooms of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students are reviewed for the insights they provide on effective teaching practices and special services for this population. The bilingual education profession misunderstands and misuses what the literature says about instruction for LEP…

This study investigated the "customization" of a standardized achievement test to measure the effect on group and individual scores. "Customization" refers to the modification of an existing test to more closely match test specifications of the entity using the test, usually a state or large school district. Results of an…

Six experienced teachers of fourth and fifth grades read and made judgments about the appropriateness, attractiveness, usefulness, and effectiveness of each of 32 short descriptions of language-arts activities. The activity descriptions had been edited to vary systematically on five features: amount of student involvement; difficulty for students;…

The materials status report for Pashto, the national language of Afghanistan, is one of a series intended to provide the nonspecialist with a picture of the availability and quality of texts for teaching various languages to English speakers. The report consists of: (1) a brief narrative description of Pashto, the areas where it is spoken, its…

The materials status report for Slovak, the official language of the Slovak republic in Czechoslovakia, is one of a series intended to provide the nonspecialist with a picture of the availability and quality of texts for reading various languages to English speakers. The report consists of: (1) a brief narrative description of Slovak, the areas…

The materials status report for Somali, the official language of Somalia, is one of a series intended to provide the nonspecialist with a picture of the availability and quality of texts for teaching various languages to English speakers. The report consists of: (1) a brief narrative description of Somali, the areas where it is spoken, its major…

The materials status report for Amharic, the dominant language of Ethiopia, is one of a series intended to provide the nonspecialist with a picture of the availability and quality of texts for teaching various languages to English speakers. The report consists of: (1) a brief narrative description of Amharic, the areas where it is spoken, its…

The materials status report for Khmer, the majority and official language of Cambodia, is one of a series intended to provide the nonspecialist with a picture of the availability and quality of texts for teaching various languages to English speakers. The report consists of: (1) a brief narrative description of Khmer, the areas where it is spoken,…

The materials status report for Sinhala, the majority and official language of Sri Lanka, is one of a series intended to provide the nonspecialist with a picture of the availability and quality of texts for teaching various languages to English speakers. The report consists of: (1) a brief narrative description of Sinhala, the areas where it is…

The materials status report for Mongolian, the official standard language of the Mongolian People's Republic, is one of a series intended to provide the nonspecialist with a picture of the availability and quality of texts for teaching various languages to English speakers. The report consists of: (1) a brief narrative description of Mongolain,…

This document accompanies the Conceptual Learning and Development Assessment Series I: Equilateral Triangle, a test constructed to chart the conceptual developemnt of individuals. As a technical manual, it contains information on the rationale, development, standardization, and reliability of the test, as well as essential information and…

This document accompanies Conceptual Learning and Development Assessment Series II: Cutting Tool, a test constructed to chart the conceptual development of individuals. As a technical manual, it contains information on the rationale, development, standardization, and reliability of the test, as well as essential information and statistical data…

Both on-level and out-of-level tests were administered to third and fifth grade children in order to compare the scaled scores of different level tests of the same testing program and to discover whether the relationship between levels might be distorted by ceiling or floor effects. Only reading tests were used in this study. The Stanford…

In eight Title I classrooms 32 first grade students were observed as they completed reading and writing assignments without continuous teacher supervision. Observations focused on the students' immediate responses, such as attention, performance on the assignment, and reported understanding of the task. Two working hypotheses are presented about…