This paper challenges the assumption that meaning is in some way magically encoded within texts and argues that questions, when they are used simply as tools to lead readers to a single meaning, are inadequate as a means of reading comprehension assessment. The paper then goes on to describe one of a series of micro case studies that explored…

An informal study attempted to determine if audio-taped comments on student papers in freshman composition were as efficient and effective as those actually written on student papers. An instructor began the experiment in the third week of the semester--after he had already returned one batch of papers with written comments on them. Students…

This paper introduces a theoretical treatment of the concept of intelligence that provides for intellectual diversity and contrasts this view with the more traditional notion of intelligence. Next, the paper draws from this theory several implications for education, paying particular attention to the question of assessment. It is shown why this…

Due to concerns that body shape preferences contribute to eating disorders among women, a new method to assess observer preferences for female body shapes was devised. In prior studies women have preferred thin models, but men have preferred models of average weight. In Experiment 1, an underweight female model was photographed in a white top and…

A pilot project in portfolio assessment was carried out at Northwest Missouri State University by the English department for the general proficiency assessment which the administration had requested. The portfolio was designed around the central feature of the second semester composition course: the research essay. Besides the research essay, the…

As part of the process of developing an assessment system for Washington State Adult Basic Education/English as a Second Language (ABE/ESL) a review of literature was conducted, the product of which is the annotated bibliography presented here. The first section of the bibliography is a review of the materials found during the course of the…

Argues that overreliance on standardized tests contributes to the deterioration of educational standards, teacher passivity, and lack of student involvement in academic studies, thus undermining democratic education; lists several alternatives to standardized testing. (MCG)

Beginning in 1998, a state program called Reaching for Results began focusing on raising achievement for all Louisiana students. This program includes two different approaches: (1) teaching strategies that support students in meeting educational outcomes that will prepare them for life after school; and (2) assessments that evaluate student…

The 10 papers in this book attempt to provide some creative approaches to assessment of individuals with disabilities as they transition from the school experience to the adult world. The papers are: (1) "For Whom the Test Is Scored: Assessments, the School Experience, and More" (Douglas Fisher and Caren L. Sax); (2) "Person-Centered Planning:…

The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997 clarified that special education was to fully participate in educational accountability systems related to standards-based reform. Special education students could participate in the general assessment, with or without accommodations, or in an alternate…

Florida's Performance Assessment System for Students with Disabilities (PASSD) is a response to growing demands that students with disabilities be included in school evaluation and accountability efforts through alternate assessments. Chapter 1 introduces PASSD and provides background information. It notes that the focus of PASSD is noncategorical…

With reading, as with all academic content and skills, effective instruction is informed by sound assessment. Teachers' knowledge about classroom-embedded reading assessment must continue to be developed so that they can use the information it yields to make informed instructional decisions. At the same time, districts and schools must develop…

This ERIC Digest suggests that traditional assessment techniques must be complemented by new methods that can reinvigorate and improve the teaching and study of history in the schools. Teachers and researchers agree that recall of discrete information and traditional forms of assessment emphasize low-level cognition without challenging students to…

A review of the literature on the use of standardized tests suggested that standardized testing has not improved education and that alternative assessments are a more accurate measure of a student's knowledge. A study conducted in Randolph County (West Virginia) investigated whether elementary school teachers agreed with these conclusions. Results…

Mathematics alternative assessment continues to be a hot topic with much activity on development, standards setting, and relation to reform. This document defines alternative assessment as any assessment in which students construct a response to a question rather than choosing a response from a list. This annotated bibliography contains the…