A hearing was held to consider the issues involved in funding the administration's proposals for certain educational testing. After opening remarks by Senators Kennedy (Massachusetts) , Specter (Pennsylvania), and Harkin (Iowa), the Secretary of Education, Richard W. Riley, spoke about the proposed tests. The Clinton Administration and Secretary…

This paper describes the organization, design, and adaptations of the North York's Benchmarks Project (Ontario, Canada). This project began in response to the interests and innovations of several schools within a large school board. Then the project moved to the regional and whole-board level, implemented as a top-down strategy. The term…

A study explored the nature and quality of teacher-developed assessment instruments. Teachers (n=228) from a range of grades, subjects, and school districts described patterns of test use, concerns about assessment, and use of performance assessment by completing an extensive questionnaire. The research was conducted to determine: (1) teachers'…

Designed for parents of kindergarten and elementary school children in Austin, Texas, this brochure explains the structure and function of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. A question and answer format is used to provide information on the scope and purposes of the tests, grade level differences in testing, meaning and accuracy of the scores, and…

The relationship between education, social class, and upward mobility is examined, along with mechanisms inherent in keeping the status quo in education. The relationship between the student and the university is also explored. Although college is often seen as a mechanism of upward mobility, particularly among the poor and minorities, colleges…

Drawing from a review of the literature and a comparative study of evaluation techniques, this paper offers a rationale for the use of performance appraisal as a method of evaluating student writing. The literature review covers: (1) various roles played by composition teachers, including the students' audience of one, writing coach, and Socratic…

A two-year study designed to evaluate an elementary language arts program in the Grande Prairie School District (Edmonton, Alberta) through an assessment of student achievement was conducted from 1983 to 1985. A major focus of the study was the area of listening, and the listening tests and teacher's manuals presented in this document are intended…

Fiscal constraints have limited education budgets in developing countries. Increases necessary to expand access to highly subsidized and publicly provided education have not been forthcoming. Another concern is that education is being inadequately and inefficiently provided by the public sector. This study is an inquiry into the nature of the…

This handbook was designed for use in conjunction with an ongoing program in the New York (New York) Public Schools to improve students' test-taking skills. Directed towards third grade teachers and their supervisors, this guide has been developed for implementation as an integral part of the school's ongoing instruction in communication arts and…

This handbook was designed for use in conjunction with an ongoing program in the New York (New York) public schools to improve students' test-taking skills. Directed towards sixth grade teachers and their supervisors, this guide has been developed for implementation as an integral part of the school's ongoing instruction in communication arts and…

A study was conducted at Morton College (Illinois) to gain a better understanding of the factors which contribute to academic success in introductory nursing courses, and to investigate the relationship between the following variables: student grades in Fundamentals of Nursing I and II, Anatomy and Physiology I, and Rhetoric I; and their scores on…

These comments provide further details which expand upon the recommendations of the subcommittee on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Writing. Three issues are discussed. The first concerns how objectives of assessment in writing ought to be stated. The 1984 objectives are stated in general terms without reference to what might…

Social studies assessment for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) should focus on students' oral and written discourse on social topics. Discourse is language produced by the student with the intention of providing a narrative, argument, explanation, or analysis. The assessment of discourse is important because: emphasis on…

Developmental programs which have reached a relatively mature level of operation and can serve as regional models and resources for each other and for emerging programs are identified in this national directory. Introductory material discusses the need for and purpose of the directory, the selection process used to identify outstanding programs,…

Results of the West Virginia State-County Testing Program from 1982 to 1985 are summarized. The test battery includes the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS); the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT), a test of scholastic ability; and the West Virginia Student Questionnaire, which includes school subjects interest ratings, educational plans, and…