This paper argues that no single measurement strategy serves all purposes and that applying methods and techniques which allow a variety of data elements to be retrieved and juxtaposed may be an investment in the future. Item response theory, Rasch model, and latent trait theory are all approaches to a single conceptual topic. An abbreviated look…

To better understand ways to improve education, large longitudinal data sets are required, such as the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 which follows students through their schooling and into the labor market. In addition, data comparing the performance of state and local school systems is essential for educational accountability. The…

This document sets forth detailed curriculum objectives and an associated three-phase promotion testing program for grades 3, 6, and 8 for public schools in the state of North Carolina. The program was administered for the first time in 1986. The 1987 testing program began with administration of the California Achievement Tests (CAT). Students…

The Maryland Accountability Testing Program Annual Report is a reference document on basic skills test data for the public, providing a survey of test results and the progress made by state students in grades 3, 5, and 8. Basic skills areas for these grade levels are covered, along with average grade equivalent scores. The California Achievement…

In the fall of 1986, a pilot study was conducted to investigate the differential performance at the item level of Mexican-American students who spoke English as a second language (ESL) versus White native English speakers. This study was designed to replicate the pilot study and test the hypotheses based on that study. The test materials used were…

An introduction by Barbara S. Plake emphasizes that this volume investigates social and technical influences on test development and usage. Essential preliminary information on how tests can be used and may be interpreted is presented. Under the heading "Social and Technical Influences" are: (1) "Struggles and Possibilities: The Use…

An overview is provided of the issues involved in the development of programs to assess institutional effectiveness, particularly as they relate to California community colleges. After part I reviews the trends that have made institutional accountability a legislative concern nationwide, parts II and III consider various definitions of…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) completed its fourth mathematics assessment during the 1985-86 school year and finished the analyses of the results in 1988. This monograph, prepared by an interpretive team of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, represents a comprehensive discussion of the results of the fourth…

Ferris State University's (FSU's) Collegiate Skills Program assists academically underprepared students in their transition to college. The program was initiatied in fall 1985 in response to increasing numbers of entering freshmen with inadequate reading and writing skills and subsequent high rates of attrition. Focusing initially on students with…

In response to a legislative mandate, this report assesses the validity of the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) and offers recommendations for increasing the passing rate of students. Section I summarizes the Florida State Legislature's interest and intent in establishing CLAST an achievement test--measuring skills in computation,…

This booklet interprets and summarizes the results of the Connecticut Statewide Basic Skills Proficiency Test as administered to ninth graders in October, 1986. The test measures basic skills in reading and mathematics, and basic writing skills in the language arts. The test is used to identify students who require further remediation in order to…

School effectiveness indices (SEIs) based on residuals from regressing test performance in reading and mathematics onto prior-year test performance and a socioeconomic status measure (percentage eligible for a subsidized lunch program) were obtained for two consecutive years for 431 South Carolina elementary schools. The analysis involved school…

This document summarizes results of province-wide achievement tests given in Alberta, Canada in June 1987. These tests evaluated student achievement in third grade science, sixth grade mathematics, and ninth grade social studies. The test questions for each subject area reflected Alberta's curriculum specifications for that subject. The grade 3…

During the last two decades of work in predicting and explaining school achievement, much research has emphasized the identification and measurement of student cognitive and affective processes which predict and also promise to help explain and facilitate school achievement. This review focuses on modifiable cognitive and affective processes, as…

The Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) battery are administered in New Mexico school districts as part of a state mandated assessment program. The tests are administered to students in grades three, five, and eight to measure achievement in the basic skills areas of reading, language, and mathematics. This report contains various types of…