Provides rationale for computer-assisted testing and assessment, describes systems currently in use, and examines potential benefits, potential problems, and future implications. Suggests that computer-assisted testing and assessment has potential to either enhance services and resources or to generate problems and confusion for clients and…

Subjecting the comprehension passages of the Gates-McGinitie Reading Test to readability analysis using a multiformula computer program revealed that the instrument can best be used for making comparisons between groups using the same test forms and levels in the same sequence. (FL)

Describes a computer-assisted testing system which produces multiple-choice examinations for a college course in business administration. The system uses SPIRES (Stanford Public Information REtrieval System) to manage a database of questions and related data, mark-sense cards for machine grading tests, and ACL (6) (Audit Command Language) to…

Learning disabled fifth graders in Florida were given modified versions of the Florida State Student Assessment Test. Modifications such as additional examples, smaller subsections, unjustified formats, and grouping of items in order of difficulty facilitated the students' performance. Use of large-print tests made little difference. (Authors/PP)

Student, teacher, and program evaluation are the themes of this issue. Articles include a supervisor's perspective on program evaluation; evaluating agricultural mechanics instruction; evaluating supervised occupational experience programs; evaluation of the vocational agriculture teacher; teacher evaluation from a student's perspective; what and…

Describes development of a new rating scale for use by teachers. The Prosocial Behaviour Questionnaire is designed for use in the investigation of elementary school children's behavior. A copy of the rating scale is included. (Author/DB)

Two experiments on multiple-choice assessment of students learning from sentences were conducted. Interference arising from intersentence similarity was a function of both the kind of learning strategies students were instructed to employ and the kind of strategies they reported having employed spontaneously. Implications for test construction and…

When designing competency based education programs to meet state requirements, California educators would do well to select only a small number of highly significant competencies per basic skill area, for which they can devise on-target instruction and valid competency measures. (SJL)

A study was conducted to test the criterion validity of a set of written patient management problems (PMPs) through a comparison of pharmacist performance on the PMPs and performance in the practice setting. The PMPs were replicated in the practice setting by actors. Inconsistencies between PMP performance and practice performance were noted.…

A 22-item instrument (My Classmates) was developed to measure fifth-sixth graders' perceptions of their peer relationships, and administered to 621 students. The instrument's reliability and validity were supported. Group membership was found to be related to certain student characteristics. (The questionnaire is appended). (GDC)

Addresses problems involved in developing and using performance tests, creating job-like testing situations, specifying measurable criteria, and controlling external factors to reduce problems of test reliability. Placing trainees in on-the-job training environments when training cannot be provided in the classroom or laboratory is recommended.…

Selective admissions may become an archaic notion for undergraduate institutions due to intensified competition for enrollments and a marketing mentality in recruiting students. It is likely that technical development of tests will continue on an incremental basis as testing agencies try to meet public criteria of fairness and credibility. (FG)

Traditionally research into the effects of teacher behaviors on learning outcomes has involved direct observational techniques. This paper departs from tradition and describes the initial development and use of a new instrument measuring student perceptions of numerous key teaching behaviors. (RL)

The practical problems of constructing and using culture fair intelligence tests cannot be solved without a thorough theoretical analysis of research findings on cultural differences and on structures and definitions of intelligence, especially the concepts of fluid and crystallized intelligence. Part of a theme issue on intelligence. (Author/SJL)

Procedures used to verify and validate the translation of tests, questionnaires, and other paper-and-pencil measurement devices for cross-cultural use are discussed. Recommendations are suggested for improving translation efforts. (MH)