This report is a summary of the Basic Skills Task Force activities covering the period from August 1982 to June 30, 1983. The Task Force was created by the West Virginia Board of Education in 1982. The report provides information on the historical background of the Task Force, a summary of how it functioned, and recommendations of the Task Force…

Research on the lack of correlation between standardized tests and school district goals has suggested that district goals might be better met by supplementing standardized tests with district-made criterion-referenced testing systems. This article reports on the development of such a system, the Academic Learning Progress Assessment System…

The purpose of the bulletin is to provide information to teachers and students about the Social Studies 30 Diploma Examination for 1987. The information includes: (1) a description of the examination; 70 multiple-choice questions worth 70% of the total score and one essay worth 30%; (2) an outline of the objectives to be tested including…

A method for equating test scores between two standardized achievement testing programs was developed. The first test was the Survey of Basic Skills (SBS) published by Science Research Associates. The second was the Tests of Individual Performance (TIP) of the Portland Public Schools in Oregon. Scores reported in Rasch units (RIT) from the TIP…

A study examined the relationship of native language and level of English proficiency to the structure of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Using all of the information provided by various responses to the test's items (the four alternatives, omitted, and not reached), the items' interrelations were analyzed by three-way…

Case studies of attempts to implement accountability and assessment programs at Northeast Missouri State University and the University of Missouri, Columbia, illustrate the benefits and impacts of such programs. The programs variously incorporated demographic data, national standardized test results, and surveys of student attitudes. The American…

A critical position paper on research on many types of tests and the history of the testing movement is presented. The report, "A Nation at Risk" receives particular criticism. Although the accountability of teachers, schools, and educational administrators is seen as necessary, it is argued that a means of insuring accountability has…

One hundred twenty young adult females, half Anglos and half Mexican-Americans, were administered Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales (WAIS), Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), and Bender Gestalt Tests. Half of each ethnic group were classified by the public schools as learning disabled and half were in regular classes. The WAIS Verbal IQ,…

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) Office of Research and Evaluation presents the 1982-83 final report on Student Achievement. The major positive findings, as well as the major findings requiring action, are listed. The report discusses AISD student achievement in a question-answer format. (1) How does AISD student achievement compare…

The feasibility of using item response theory (IRT) as a psychometric model for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Aptitude Test was addressed by assessing the reasonableness of the assumptions of item response theory for GRE item types and examinee populations. Items from four forms and four administrations of the GRE Aptitude Test were…

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the direct and indirect influences that testing has on students. Subjects consisted of 12 male and 127 female kindergarten through grade 12 teachers in North Carolina--a state that mandates standardized testing. Districts may use only those test required by the state or they may use…

A study compared the results of administration of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Educational Testing Service (ACTFL/ETS) oral proficiency interview and those of two laboratory-administered Modern Language Association tests, one in the listening mode and one in the speaking mode. The comparative study was undertaken to…

This booklet provides comprehensive information on schools of education in South Carolina. Background information is given on State policies about interstate reciprocity, the Master of Arts in Teaching program, and required examinations for certification. The 28 colleges are listed alphabetically with complete listings of programs and the…

This paper describes the experiences of the Ector County Independent School District (Odessa, Texas) in selecting published achievement test to determine the effectiveness of a newly established curriculum. A task force of 24 faculty and staff met for three months. During this time they reviewed the district's philosophy of testing, developed new…

This ERIC Digest discusses implications derived from the final report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, "A Nation at Risk." The first implication is a motivational one for measurement specialists: it is an ego-booster. The report is replete with results yielded from various testing programs, the fruit of the…