Test evaluation summaries completed by the Center for the Study of Evaluation in 1970 and 1976 were used to determine changes in test quantity and quality among elementary-level standardized instruments. In the earlier studies, the instruments were rated in four general areas: measurement validity, examinee appropriateness, administrative…

This report is an evaluation of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) done by an external advisory panel. Panelists were selected in terms of availability and complementary skills. The program was evaluated by the Shepard method which consists of a checklist grouped into the areas of goals and purposes, technical aspects, management,…

This report presents descriptive information on numerically controlled operational devises. The information is designed for the education and training community, manufacturers, supervisors, machine operators, and others who do not have an extensive technical background in numerical control. In the first of three chapters, numerical control…

This guide explains the concept of out-of-level testing and suggests a formula for estimating the occurrence of floor effects and ceiling effects, within the context of models for evaluating Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I programs. An analogy explains floor and ceiling effects as if test items are stored in different levels in a…

Rasch model statistics and domain-referenced test development methods were used in the Virginia Basic Learning Skills (BLS) testing programs and the Graduation Competencies testing program in order to increase the fairness and effectiveness of those programs. Mastery of each of the 83 objectives in reading and mathematics for grades one through…

This paper explores the potential psychoeducational value of a perceptual-motor screening program designed to evaluate kindergarten and first grade children in a public elementary school. The possibility of providing such a service within the framework of a university training program is examined, and the value to the university and the community…

This paper reviews the research in the area of achievement tests. The findings indicate: (1) there is little evidence that educational decision makers use the large amount of test data collected; (2) a larger number of tests are being required of students for personal certification; (3) reasons for the lack of application of test results include…

The development of the portion of a basic skills test that would adequately assess the writing ability of entering college freshmen in New Jersey is described in this paper. The stages of the test development process that are discussed include the decision to incorporate a writing sample in the form of an essay on a specified topic, the selection…

The five articles in this journal issue are intended for use by school administrators, and provide information on how to organize effective programs for achieving student writing competency. The first article discusses the development of New York State's Preliminary and Regents Competency Tests in Writing, analyzes sample student responses to one…

This monograph explains the need for graduating high school seniors to demonstrate minimum competence in citizenship and suggests performance-related assessment tasks to help school authorities determine whether these competency requirements have been met. Minimum citizenship competencies are interpreted to include essential skills and concepts…

This study reports evidence that early childhood programs can have an impact on the academic careers of children from low-income homes. A wide variety of status and process variables were collected by several individual investigators over four waves, or time periods, of data collection. Before pooling data from 14 longitudinal research and…

This booklet contains selected proceedings of the 1979 conference entitled "Competency Testing and Beyond: Improving Student Writing" held in Albany, New York. Topics covered in the 17 selections are: the "real" world and the teaching of English, what has been learned about competency testing in writing, the composing process, diagnosing student…

THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE A TESTING METHOD FOR OBTAINING OBJECTIVE, QUANTIFIED, PREDICTIVE MEASURES OF EDUCABILITY FOR MENTAL RETARDATES. THE METHOD WAS DESIGNED TO MEASURE ABILITIES ON WHICH EDUCATION DEPENDS--NAMELY, THE ABILITY TO LEARN UNDER TRAINING, TO TRANSFER THE TRAINING, AND TO RETAIN THE LEARNING. TWO SAMPLES WERE…

A 6-YEAR INVESTIGATION WAS MADE TO IDENTIFY THE FACTORS THAT (1) RELATE TO THE ACHIEVEMENT IN SCIENCE OF STUDENTS IN JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND (2) MOTIVATE STUDENTS TO ELECT COURSES IN SCIENCE AT THESE LEVELS. TO OBTAIN THE REQUIRED DATA, THE INVESTIGATOR SELECTED APPROXIMATELY 2,500 STUDENTS WHO ENTERED THE SEVENTH GRADE IN THE FALL 1957…

PRE-PILOT AND PILOT STUDIES WERE UNDERTAKEN TO SURVEY ANXIETY LEVELS IN THE SPEECH BEHAVIOR OF 45 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN. DURING THE PRE-PILOT STUDY, FOUR TESTS DESIGNED TO REVEAL THE STUDENTS' CONSCIOUS ANXIETY WERE DEVELOPED AND REGULARIZED. A QUESTIONNAIRE CONCERNING THE ATTITUDES OF TEACHERS TOWARD STUDENTS SPEECH ANXIETY INDICATED…