A study evaluated different approaches to placing students in adult literacy classes using 168 adult basic education (ABE) and General Educational Development (GED) students. Students in classes at Rochambeau School in White Plains, New York, were given the Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE), the Tests of Adult Literacy Skills (TALS), an oral…

The advent of computers in educational and psychological measurement has lead to the need for algorithms for optimal assembly of tests from item banks. This paper reviews the literature on optimal test assembly and introduces the contributions to this report on the topic. Four different approaches to computerized test assembly are discussed:…

The FairTest Examiner is a quarterly newsletter that discusses the appropriate use of tests and test results. Many of the features address recent events in the field of educational testing reform. The bulletin's regular features include: current news items, a list of recommended reading material, a listing of FairTest personnel, announcements of…

Intended for numeracy tutors, teachers, and trainees, this handbook provides guidance about teaching numeracy. Chapter 1 examines the extent of the numeracy problem in Great Britain, the kind of experiences that students may encounter in grappling with numerical concepts, and the range of ways in which numeracy is taught. Chapter 2 includes four…

In 1990-91, the second year of Alaska's statewide testing program, the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills was administered to 24,684 Alaskan public school students in grades 4, 6, and 8. The nationally normed achievement test covered reading, mathematics, and language arts. Most students in grades 6 and 8 scored above the 50th percentile in all subjects,…

The Center for the Study of Evaluation, of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California at Los Angeles (CSE) hosted a two day conference on "Paths to Excellence: Testing and Technology" on July 14-15, 1983. Attended by over 100 educational researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, the first day of the conference…

Studies and analyses conducted by the Assessment Center at Sacramento City College (SCC) during 1983 resulted in the data on SCC's students and services presented in this report. After section I sets forth the purpose of the report and section II reviews trends and priorities revealed by the center's activities, section III provides a statistical…

Ways to improve the validity of assessment of college students are discussed. Validity problems often have occurred because the purpose of assessment was not clear. Traditionally, college students have been tested for admission and placement. However, the results of these tests have been used for other purposes, such as comparing institutions.…

This publication highlights resources that can increase educators' awareness of, and skill in, monitoring students' progress. The listed resources include: (1) computer search printouts of abstracts from ERIC educational journals and documents; (2) copies and summaries of excerpts from recent literature on monitoring students; (3) listings of…

The key to high school student motivation is recognizing and rewarding academic effort. Compared to the United States, students in foreign countries study harder and their parents demand more of the schools because labor market success is determined by how much is learned in high school. Schools in the United States, however, reward students for…

This address presents recent developments in the Florida movement toward entry and exit examinations in higher education. During the 1970s, parents, business leaders and state government leaders had expressed concern that students from Florida's schools, colleges, and universities were not demonstrating sufficient quality in job performance,…

A major issue facing the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Writing Assessment is its relationship with the most frequently encountered measurement practices among State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Should NAEP conduct its assessments in a fashion that represents how things should be, or reflect…

The merits of a state testing program that would measure the basic skills of college students and provide a basis for improvement was studied in Texas in 1985 by the Committee on Testing. Basic skills among colleges students and the use of postsecondary testing and remediation programs were studied in several states. The review included various…

This document summarizes the activities conducted under the National Institute of Education (NIE) planning grant for the new Center on Student Testing, Evaluation, and Standards and the conceptualizations that emerged from these activities. Chapter 1 presents a summary of the planning activities actually conducted under the award, including…

The Gittinger Assessment Center (GAC) at Hocking Technical College is a psychological service unit whose thrust is to provide educational testing, individual counseling, and tutorial assistance to enhance the learning process. Students' academic, personal, and social needs are identified through an individualized assessment process, which serves…