Student test scores are increasingly used to judge the competence of the educational enterprise. Exaggeration of scores is the result of directing attention away from the individual student achievement to the average scores of schools, districts, and states. Implications and recommendations are discussed. (BJV)

Describes a study of the development of a new oral proficiency test which could replace the existing English as a Foreign Language Oral Matriculation test in Israel. The deficiencies of the existing Oral Matriculation test are specified, and the components of the experimental test are described. (Author/SED)

Two experiments were conducted in Israeli elementary schools to test the assumption that disadvantaged students perform poorly on ability tests because of situational factors related to the testing process. Testing atmosphere and examiner status were examined with respect to verbal and nonverbal ability and intelligence. The assumption was not…

The purpose of this paper is to review the theoretical and empirical literature relevant to language performance assessment. Following a definition of performance assessment, this paper considers: (1) theoretical assumptions underlying performance assessment; (2) purposes of performance assessment; (3) performance assessment procedures; (4) merits…

In recent years metacognition has been receiving increased attention in mathematics education. Special attention has been focused on metacognition and its essential role in achievement settings. The basic difficulty of the study on the field of metacognition is to develop and use valid tasks in order to measure metacognitive ability especially for…

This paper presents the results of instrument development and adaptation efforts associated with conceptualizing and investigating self and organizational efficacies in terms of motivation toward achievement of organizational goals in schools, child welfare agencies, and higher education institutions. Results of initial conceptual development of a…

This final report presents a study of 27 classes that participated in a school-to-work initiative that used systematic observation methods combined with teacher and administrative surveys to examine the construct validity of classroom practices related to the integration of academic and occupational curricula for secondary students with and…

This bibliography provides abstracts of 28 recent (most were published since 1993) books, journal articles, and other documents concerned with testing accommodations for students with disabilities. The emphasis was on studies examining the effects of testing accommodations on the technical integrity of assessment measures. However, the…

This book brings together a series of empirical studies into the use of pedagogical tasks for second language learning, with a view to better understanding the structure of tasks, their impact on students, and their use by teachers. This edited volume starts with an introduction to the background and key issues in the topic area. Each section…

This paper examines the practice of successful urban teachers, exploring the validity of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) urban teacher assessments. Results from a literature review and empirical evidence indicate that successful teaching occurs when…

This paper examines both overseas and domestic tests of English speaking ability from the viewpoint of the crucial testing elements such as definition of speaking ability, validity, reliability, and practicality. The paper points out problems to be solved and proposes suggestions for constructing an oral proficiency test in order to determine the…

This study compared college students' responses on their evaluations of the effectiveness of full- and part-time college faculty. A group of 1,101 students completed evaluation instruments for all courses taught by full-time faculty, and 2,067 students completed evaluations for all courses taught by part-time faculty in spring 1998. In fall 1998,…

This school-version technical manual provides an overview of the "Transition Behavior Scale-Second Edition School Version" (TBS-2 SV), an assessment that was developed to be a direct observation screening measure of behavior characteristics most predictive of behavior in society in general and employment specifically. Those students (ages 12-18)…

This test manual presents information on the Brockport Physical Fitness Test (BPFT), a criterion-referenced fitness test for children and adolescents with disabilities. The first chapter of the test manual includes an introduction and target populations are identified, defined, and classified. The second chapter presents information on the…

This kit contains materials necessary to administer the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS), an assessment battery designed to evaluate cognitive processing in children 5 through 17 years of age. Derived from the Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, and Successive (PASS) theory, the four processing areas comprise the four scales that make up the CAS.…