The focus of educational measurement in higher education in the 1980's is discussed: (1) better evaluation of student achievement; (2) improved communication of measurement results to various audiences; (3) evaluation of undergraduate educational programs; and (4) systematic assessment of the educational needs of college-bound students. In…

A technology for domain or criterion referenced testing was developed to evaluate the Minnesota Mathematics and Science Teaching Project (MINNEMAST) in grades K-6. The venture was influenced by the low achievement of MINNEMAST students on standardized tests. After instructional objectives were selected and operationally defined, corresponding test…

Since the California Assessment Program began in 1972 to provide information for evaluation of school programs in California, major changes in testing practices have occurred. Scholastic aptitude testing has been eliminated in all grades; state-designed reading and basic skills tests are administered in grades one, two, three, six, and twelve.…

Assessment of student progress in community colleges is necessary for several reasons; among them are accountability to the public, improvement of decision-making for both students and educators, and planning and evaluation of curricula. This sourcebook focuses on various types of student progress--vocational, social, academic, transfer--and on…

Designed for current and future occupational instructors, counselors, and administrators, the comprehensive measurement text is directed toward all subject areas in occupational education--industrial, business/distributive, home economics, agriculture, health occupations, and personal/public services. It offers necessary guidelines to select,…

Often referred to as "The Nation's Report Card," the mathematics assessments of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) have come to be regarded by many policymakers as the primary yardstick by which to judge our schools' success in meeting national expectations. This monograph reports and interprets trends in NAEP…

This issue focuses on how special education fits into standards-based reform and contains the following featured articles: (1) A New Vision for Special Education Accountability (Martha L. Thurlow and Jane L. Krentz) charts the change in special education accountability as it moves from the old focus on Individualized Education Program teams; (2)…

This paper describes an evaluation model called embedded training evaluation (ETE) which can be used to evaluate different types of training ranging from basic skills through constructed learning. The model was developed for the New York State Child Welfare/Child Protection Services Common Core training program. ETE is particularly effective in…

State leaders are using complex accountability systems, composed of standards, assessments, public reporting, rewards, and sanctions, to raise student, school, and district achievement. The public strongly supports making academic standards more challenging, despite a lack of consensus on content and outcomes. Some states may revise standards…

This first volume of the Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System (AEPS) Test and its associated curriculum, describes the AEPS measurement components for the developmental range from birth to 6 years. Chapter 1 provides a comprehensive description of the AEPS Test and chapter 2 discusses linking assessment, goal development, intervention,…

This comprehensive report on Texas schools indicates that more than 80 percent of students pass the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TASS) test, and students continue to show impressive gains on math and reading tests. Chapter 1, "Student Performance," provides data on student performance on the Spring 2000 Texas Assessment of…

Educators and laymen have always expressed opinions with respect to the efficiency of our schools. In recent years there has been developed, along with a refinement in the technique of investigation in education, a remarkable public interest in the attempts to evaluate our educational practice. School inquiries, investigations, or surveys have…

Describes the first administration of the California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) to fifth-grade students. Discusses the history of CLAS, types of questions employed, content coverage, methods of scoring, and reporting on tests results. Presents sample questions, student responses, and commentary on student performance. (CFR)

A large central government providing numerous public services has long been a hallmark of Swedish society, which is also well-known for its pursuit of equality. Yet in the 1990s, Sweden moved away from this tradition in education, introducing market-oriented reforms that decentralized authority over public schools and encouraged competition…

In an earlier article, we considered the pedagogy and assessment practices enacted by physical education (PE) teachers when attempting to translate a centrally prescribed rationale into meaningful performance-led teaching within an integrated curriculum--Higher Still Physical Education (HSPE) in Scotland. Through further research this article…