Investigates the relationship between total scores on the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) and the time taken to complete it. Finds that slower test takers obtained significantly higher scores. Discusses implications of these findings for college instruction. (SG)

Responds to a critique by Susan S. Goldsmith of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) English Language Arts tests, focusing on Goldsmith's critique of test development, uniform topic focus, use of open-response items, and lack of explicit testing in vocabulary and grammar. Goldsmith replies to the response, highlighting needed…

Investigates the relationship between test takers' strategy and their performance on second-language tests (SLTP) comprising an 80-item Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategy Questionnaire and a 70-item standardized language test. Results explain SLTP by grammar and reading ability; cognitive processing by comprehending, storing, and retrieval…

Two years after CEO Paul Vallas was brought in to run the Chicago Public Schools, the schools report higher scores on standardized tests, better attendance, and higher graduation and lower dropout rates. Of 557 schools, 109 were placed on probation, and students were held accountable for their performance. (LMI)

State surveys investigated black-white SAT scoring gaps. The performance gap was very low in North Dakota and very high in the District of Columbia. It was lowest in states with few, if any, racially segregated inner city schools and highest in the District of Columbia, where many whites attend quality private schools while most blacks attend…

Suggests that many of the current instructional practices that use children's literature in the elementary classroom derive from "modernist" theories of meaning, readers, texts, and contexts which do not reflect the transactional nature of reading, perspectives from reader response, or various critical theories. Describes three theoretical…

Evaluated the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP), a middle school reform mathematics curriculum used in Louisiana's Lafayette parish. Analysis of Iowa Test of Basic Skills and Louisiana Education Assessment Program mathematics data indicated that CMP schools significantly outperformed non-CMP schools. Surveys of teachers and students showed that…

Examines differences between old state-designed norm-referenced tests and new tests aligned with the curriculum. Concludes that new state tests are very similar to old ones. Discusses impact of new high-stakes standardized tests on students and teachers. Argues the new wave of standardized testing is not the answer to improving student…

Investigated the criterion-related validity of the Academic Competence Evaluation Scales-College (ACES-College), a self-report measure of academic competence. Using comparisons to grade point average and college admission test scores, found good evidence for its validity and ability to differentiate college students experiencing learning…

The discussion of score reporting methods to be used in new versions of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) examination defines selected aspects of score reporting, outlines the use of scores, and examines the potential for misuse by medical schools and in resident selection. An NBME opinion poll is reported. (Author/MSE)

Criticizes the Scottish Education Department for its 1987 consultation paper "Curriculum and Assessment in Scotland: A Policy for the 90s" seeking to revive the managerial style of entrepreneurial capitalism, namely Taylorism. The new policy is under attack for countermanding teachers' newly acquired decision-making powers. Includes 34…

In response to the limitations of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), several states, including California and Connecticut, are moving away from exclusive use of standardized tests and toward more performance-based assessments. In Massachusetts, a committee is working to put SAT scores into context by finding other ways to judge and report school…

A study of Scholastic Aptitude Test scores for nine groups of students with disabilities taking special test administrations found differences in score levels among disability groups but no significant differences of measurement precision and no evidence of disadvantage for disabled students. (Author/MSE)

Discussion of the development of distance education programs in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Great Britain focuses primarily on six programs in the United States. External degree programs are discussed, standard examinations that assess prior learning are described, and credit policies for extra-institutional learning are examined.…

Assessed the effect of commercial coaching on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores of 438 students in private suburban college preparatory schools, 200 of whom received formal preparation for the SAT. Results showed that short-term coaching did not yield significantly greater verbal scores, but mathematics scores for coached students were…