Explores the relation of educational evaluation and quality, arguing that true educational improvement depends on public debate that regards evaluation and quality as indispensable partners. Reviews limitations of current achievement tests as accurate measures of student or teacher competency. Notes problems including subject matter restrictions,…

Describes the efforts of the language arts staff of the Edmonton (Canada) Public Schools to develop statements of student outcomes that were generalizable across grade levels and tests of writing achievement based on those outcomes. (FL)

This study was conducted to test three hypotheses: that moderate levels of external pacing of a microcomputer instructional program would result in more effective learning; that moderate levels of external pacing would improve learning time efficiency; and that lower achievers may have to be forced into further instruction. (MBR)

Correlations between the Standard Progressive Matrices test (SPM) and the California Achievement Test, Reading, Language, and Mathematics Tests were examined for 99 Hispanic and 93 non-Hispanic Caucasian seventh-grade students. All correlations were highly significant. Supports continued use of the SPM as a measure of nonverbal intellectual…

A sample of elementary and high schools was investigated to determine principals' influence on student achievement test scores. Analysis of variance estimated principals' effects while controlling for environmental and organizational factors. Findings indicate that principals exert a small but important influence on school performance. (TE)

The author describes the evolution of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). He describes some of the contributions to educational research made by inquiries based on the SAT and gives particular attention to the way scaling and equating procedures for the SAT have evolved over the last half century. (Author/JAZ)

The potential value of developing item banks that would both guarantee the quality of teacher-made examinations and allow for national comparison of student achievement is described. Use of Rasch model methods, rather than classical item analysis techniques, to calibrate the items for these banks is illustrated. (BS)

A study conducted at the Universities of Haifa and Tel-Aviv to compare two approaches to constructing general multiple choice ability tests--the "classic distractor" test and a new technique, the "fixed-distractor" format test--found a strong similarity between the scores on the two general information ability tests. Seven…

The author addresses issues raised by Burket (TM 510 174) about the Iowa Test of Basic Skills scaling procedures. Further reasons for his criticism of Thurstone scale scores and item response theory scale scores for elementary school achievement tests are given. (BS)

Comprehensive assessment in context focuses on the processes and structures involved in subject matter competence as moderated in performance by personal and environmental influences. This article addresses in detail both the nature of developing competence and its measurement in terms of context-dependent task performance. (Author/EGS)

A study comparing the effect of the Distar reading program and the Lippincott Basic Readers on the cognitive and creative development of 136 kindergarten and first grade children. The major difference between these two approaches is degree of teacher control. Only one significant difference was found between the two approaches. (MS)

State and federal laws mandate that local educational agencies equip students who have limited English proficiency with the English language skills necessary to succeed in all academic content areas. In efforts to comply with both state and federal law, the Arizona State Department of Education (ADE) has developed a mechanism to identify, assess,…

The South Dakota Assessment System provides information for schools to use in evaluating their teaching and curriculum as well as allowing parents to monitor their child's progress. All public schools in South Dakota test students according to South Dakota Codified Law 13-3-55, which was adopted in January 1997 and amended in January 2003. This…

The present study examined the effectiveness of using the contract learning strategy on special diploma students' achievement and attitudes towards English language; a strategy that has been used in the field of education in general and teaching English language in particular. The subjects of the present study consisted of 41 graduate students…

This study investigated the relationship between the scales used for the NMSBA assessments and the RIT scales used to report performance on Northwest Evaluation Association tests. The study estimated the changes in reading and mathematics RIT score equivalents for the NMSBA performance levels in those subjects. Test records for more than 17,000…