This report presents the results of the statewide spring 2000 administration of the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP). Third-grade students were assessed in Reading; fourth- and seventh-grade students were assessed in Reading and Writing; and eighth-grade students were assessed in Mathematics and Science. The assessments were developed by…

Although there are many regions of the country that have historically been ethnically and linguistically diverse, school system data as well as information from the 2000 census and other sources has indicated that many hitherto homogeneous regions of the country and their educational institutions have experienced significant growth in populations…

This booklet prepares a student to take New Jersey's Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment (GEPA), a test that measures the knowledge and skills that will be tested later in the state's High School Proficiency Assessment. The GEPA has three test sections (content areas): Language Arts Literacy, Mathematics, and Science. The booklet tells students…

This field memo to all teachers and administrators of public and nonpublic schools is the first of three in a series of updates from the Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Continuing Education on standards and assessments in New York. This document contains information on New York's learning standards and the…

Different kinds of tests are given to determine student achievement. Standardized achievement tests are often used, but have many limitations. They may be useful in determining the content students should learn and its relevance for future learning and the curriculum. Criterion referenced tests eliminate a major weakness of standardized tests in…

This report presents findings from the evaluation of the second year of the professional services agreement between the Detroit, Michigan, Public Schools and Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. Under a contract with the school system, Sylvan attempted to improve the reading achievement of low-achieving students in 10 Title 1 schools. The program…

This document aims to support graduate students who are in the process of preparing graduate theses or dissertations, and is organized according to the planning, research, and writing phases. The function of theses and dissertations is to provide students with experience in conducting and presenting research and to add to the body of knowledge in…

Medical school admissions committees are expected to select physicians with specific attributes such as intelligence, altruism, dutifulness, and compassion. Besides basing these attributes on the best professional judgment of the physicians and medical school faculty, there has been little quantitative research to determine the psychological…

This paper examines the efficacy of content-general reading tests used to place students into development courses. It argues that the discipline-generic model of comprehension supporting content-general reading tests is challenged by conclusions emerging from studies of schema theory, construction-integration theory, domain-knowledge theory, and…

This book provides a succinct discussion of the development and use of classroom assessments. It is designed for college courses and settings in which a full survey textbook is not appropriate in terms of coverage and cost, such as educational psychology or teaching methods courses or self-study by teachers. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction";…

This report examines the potential of adaptive testing, two?-stage testing in particular, for improving the data quality of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Following a discussion of the rationale for adaptive testing in assessment and a review of previous studies of two-?stage testing, this report describes a 1993 Ohio…

This publication outlines tests that are included in the North Carolina Testing Program. The end-of-grade tests are curriculum based multiple-choice reading comprehension and mathematics tests that measure curricular competencies described in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. These tests are administered to all eligible students within…

Traditional norm-referenced measurement has received criticism concerning cultural unfairness. Responses to such accusations primarily have consisted of new instrumentation aimed at a culture-fair assessment. Little response has addressed a conceptual standpoint concerning issues of purpose and use of test results. Although many have turned to…

This study was undertaken to determine whether students retain information about self-care better when it is presented orally, in writing, or in a combination of oral and written material. (Author)

Personal differences in teachers have a definite effect on the quality of education that students in inner city schools will receive. (CK)