A product of the United Kingdom's Primary Assessment, Curriculum and Experience (PACE) project, this report presents interview, observation, and survey findings concerning primary school teachers' attitudes toward and experiences of the Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs). In 1991, students were observed taking SATs at nine schools. Afterwards,…

One of a series of educational packages designed for implementation either in a workshop atmosphere or through individual study, this Hot Topic guide presents a variety of materials designed to assist educators in designing and implementing classroom projects and activities centering on the topic of standardized and alternative assessment. The Hot…

During the 1996 electoral season, public schools and teachers' unions have been repeatedly attacked by Republican candidates as the cause of intellectual and moral decline among American youth. The Institute for Wisconsin's Future initiated an updated review of the impact of collective bargaining among teachers on the performance levels of school…

Since the publication of "A Nation at Risk," (U.S. National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983), several state and local educational authorities have increased the number of mathematics and science courses required for high school graduation. This report examines the relationships between the numbers of courses in mathematics…

The recent movement to restructure schools has raised fundamental questions: Can changes in school structure improve student performance? Under what conditions might some structures be more effective than others? This document presents findings from Lee and Smith's study that examined the role of school restructuring on student performance.…

To determine the effects of a hot breakfast program on elementary school students' academic achievement, absenteeism, and lateness behaviors, a study was undertaken of standardized achievement test scores for 23 second-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders at an elementary school participating in a district-wide breakfast program. Specifically, the…

Researchers in the past have found discrepancies in the prediction of college grade point average (GPA) between genders with the use of standardized tests such as the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT). These differences were studied to determine if the potential differences could be attributed to differential…

The guide provides information on 28 public foreign language examinations offered by 14 organizations in the United Kingdom. The information is intended for use in selecting examinations for certifying language skills for employment purposes. Each listing notes the language exams offered, the aims of the test, levels of difficulty, intended age…

A qualitative study investigated the test-taking behaviors, knowledge, and perceptions of 20 urban, adult basic education students reading at third to fifth grade equivalency levels. The entire reading comprehension subtest of the Test of Adult Basic Education, levels E and M, was administered under standardized conditions. A combination of…

The 237 tests included in this bibliography encompass a wide range of achievement tests suitable for use with individuals at the college level. It includes descriptions of equivalency tests, and certification tests, as well as achievement tests that measure knowledge in the areas of science, technology, social science, humanities, mathematics, and…

The 77 test batteries described in this bibliography have a number of subtests that measure achievement in areas such as language skills, mathematics, social studies, science, and/or study skills. Several of the tests are in Spanish for students whose primary language is Spanish. Although all grades are represented, the majority of the tests are…

This paper presents a model of scored cognition that incorporates two types of mental models: models of performance (i.e., the criteria for judging performance) and models of scoring (i.e., the procedural scripts for scoring an essay). In Study 1, six novice and five experienced scorers wrote definitions of three levels of a 6-point holistic…

This book is a collection of commentaries on the policies and practices that shape schools. The views of a long-time teacher are presented on such educational issues as textbooks, assigned reading, and classroom discipline. The book is packed with stories about how children and teachers work together to overcome institutional missteps. The book…

To provide all children with quality education, teachers must rethink their educational philosophies, according to the president of the American Reading Council. Traditional teaching methods, including phonics, basal readers, tracking, and standardized testing appear to be the cause of school failure. The efficacy of the current models of reform…

The present research investigated the claim that certain intellectual characteristics predict attitudes toward multiple-choice tests, particularly the claim that creative persons hold negative attitudes toward these tests. The study examined the relationships between attitudes toward multiple-choice tests and convergent production, divergent…