Five articles in this special issue present the approaches to accountability found in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland, provinces that represent 85% of all Canadian elementary and secondary school students. The articles are then discussed by representatives of four national Canadian educational associations. (SLD)

This study evaluated a teaching method used to sensitize undergraduate pharmacy students to ethical concepts. The use of case scenarios resulted in improved ability to identify ethical issues but no increase in ability to generate alternatives and justify recommendations. An appendix presents guidelines for rating student responses to ethical…

To help evaluators find the right measurement instrument, this annotated bibliography lists 46 compendia listing, reviewing, or presenting instruments devoted to (1) psychological/behavioral assessment; (2) mental health; (3) physical health; (4) sociological scales; (5) attitudinal scales; (6) observational measures; (7) standardized tests; and…

The influence of state-mandated tests on thoughts and actions of three middle school or junior high school literature teachers was studied. Case studies indicated that the changes that tests caused in teacher thinking were a function of teachers' preferred approach to teaching literature and their place in curricular decision making. (SLD)

Literature related to the multiple true-false (MTF) item format is reviewed. Each answer cluster of a MTF item may have several true items and the correctness of each is judged independently. MTF tests appear efficient and reliable, although they are a bit harder than multiple choice items for examinees. (SLD)

It is proposed that criteria for evaluating the quality of performance should be defined, at least tentatively, during the initial design of a performance assessment. Six characteristics of sound criteria are (1) significance; (2) fidelity; (3) generalizability; (4) developmental appropriateness; (5) accessibility; and (6) utility. (SLD)

This article reviews literature asserting that legal mandates eliminating overrepresentation in special education classes may have hurt minority children and argues that such a position ignores the impact of bilingualism on psychometric test performance. The article proposes that psychometric tests be excluded from any aspect of decision making…

It is proposed that the multiple-choice test can be useful in helping language students understand the meaning of text better without overwhelming them. Techniques for drafting effective questions are discussed, and a sample list of questions is presented. (MSE)

To investigate the ability of multiple-choice tests to assess higher order thinking skills, examinations were constructed as half multiple choice and half constructed response. Results with 90 undergraduate and graduate students indicate that the 2 formats measure similar constructs at different levels of complexity. (SLD)

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) developed for use in Nigeria was compared with the Cognitive Abilities Test (COGAT), a group intelligence test developed in the United States, using 210 Nigerian high school students. Results suggest that the COGAT is not suitable for use in Nigeria. (SLD)

The educational advantages of open-book testing are explored, considering the changes in teaching method that are necessary for open-book testing to be successful. How open-book testing should work is illustrated through the example of tests for Spanish-language classes. (SLD)

Since the late 1960s, curriculum and instruction have increasingly become "test driven." Research documents the negative effects of standardized testing on instruction, students, and teachers. At their best, tests reflect students' ability to take tests. Research supports the need for change in testing policies. Massive testing must be eliminated,…

This paper responds to an article that criticizes S. A. Cohen's position on the application of instructional alignment to teaching test wiseness. The value and ethics of using certain types of norm-referenced tests are criticized, based on data for the Missouri Mastery Achievement Test. (TJH)

This article describes one school district's efforts to improve the identification procedures for an elementary pullout program for gifted students through systematic reassessment and revision. Revisions made in the areas of student nomination, data gathering, data synthesis, diagnostic assessment, and validation are discussed. Results from…

Reviews the origin, practice, and effects of the "payment by results" law in late nineteenth-century England, in which elementary education was funded on the basis of students' examination results. Argues that such a system of educational accountability severely hampered development of English and Welsh elementary education. (PAA)