This compendium of statistical data on adult literacy assessments spanning a 75-year period is designed to serve as a concise and comprehensive reference source for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. The introduction provides a theoretical framework for interpreting the assessments described. Summarized in Part 1 are major military and…

Characteristics distinguishing more effective from less effective public primary (grades 1 to 8) schools in Santo Domingo were studied, using a comparative case study design. The effectiveness of the school was determined by expert nomination and achievement tests in reading, mathematics, and writing. Socioeconomic status was controlled and three…

This study investigates two fixed parameter models for calibrating test items for an item bank under local school district control. Mathematics, reading, and language tests administered to students (Grades 7-9) provided the criterion information. Model I used calibrations from the Northwest Evaluation Association Item Bank to calibrate new items…

The University of Texas at Austin conducted a validity study of the College Board Achievement Test in Russian Listening-Reading during the 1986-87 academic year. The test, a multiple-choice test with audio-taped and reading portions, was administered to 298 students in 22 sections of 8 courses in Russian. The purpose was to revalidate the test as…

Most of the criticism of Australian schools focuses on students' skills in literacy and numeracy. This study assessed levels of student achievement in Victoria's primary and secondary schools in 1988 in some key areas of literacy and numeracy. This report maps the performances of students in Years 5 and 9 on scales of development in mathematics,…

Several issues should be considered in selecting assessment instruments and procedures for use in adult literacy programs. Teachers must consider the purpose of the assessment; the appropriateness of the assessment instrument for adults; the reliability, validity, and practicality of the instrument; whether the assessment is culturally sensitive;…

The South Carolina Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP) measures 16 basic skills objectives as mandated by legislation enacted in 1978. The BSAP Reading and Mathematics Tests were administered April 17 through 21, 1989. The tests for grades 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8 consisted of 6 multiple-choice questions for each of the 11 objectives in reading and…

The autonomous model of literacy--including its two features autonomy of text and autonomy of skill, which have been particularly influential in reading assessment--does not account for important aspects of reading. The pragmatic model of literacy accounts more adequately for how readers respond to text. An analysis of the 1976 and 1987 versions…

Background information is provided about the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) reading test, a test developed to meet the objectives specified by the State Board of Education in 1986. The revised test measures reading in a more interactive manner than did previous tests. The rationale of the test is presented, the revised reading…

This report evaluates the reading and mathematics lab programs for elementary and secondary students in the Des Moines (Iowa) Independent Community School District. The reading program served 510 students in 13 schools and mathematics program served 240 students in 7 schools. A variety of assessment instruments were used to pinpoint students'…

The multimedia self-instructional systems approach to reading instruction utilized at Wascana Institute in Canada has helped a growing number of adult learners succeed in their career training courses. The self-paced program involves sequential instruction in perception and conception, focusing on the minimum essential skills assessed by the…

This study examined the consistency of classification for a sample of special needs students on the state-mandated Massachusetts Basic Skills Inventory (BSI). The study sample consisted of 172 special education students (114 males and 58 females) from 15 elementary schools in a large urban school district in Massachusetts, who took the…

A set of 10 attitudinal items from the 1985 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) was administered to 131 fifth graders who had taken the Iowa Test of Basic Skills to determine the relationship between reading achievement and attitudes. Complete, appropriate data were available for 114 students. Teachers' responses to selected NAEP…

The system of standardized second language tests administered to Swedish junior and senior high school students is described. The tests are used to give teachers an idea of the performance levels of their entire classes, not individual students, for comparison with national norms. They are administered more than a year before the students leave…

In the Dutch national examinations, reading comprehension tests are used for all languages. For the native language, reading comprehension is tested with reading passages and related questions to which the test-taker provides his own response, not choosing from a group of alternatives. One problem encountered in testing with these items is…