Current testing and selection practices in schools and the workplace are examined to describe the experiences of handicapped people and to determine the extent to which testing is a barrier to the full participation of handicapped people in society. The Panel on Testing of Handicapped People dealt in depth with the legal and psychometric issues…

A case study of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE) program was described to assist others launching the development of large scale item banks. FTCE has four subtests: Mathematics, Reading, Writing, and Professional Education. Rasch calibrated item banks have been developed for all subtests except Writing. The methods used to…

A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to assess the relationship between students' basic skills performance and three outcome measures: retention, graduation, and academic progress. Specifically, the study compared the performance and persistence of White, Black, and Hispanic students while equating for basic skills…

This three-part report discusses the concept of intelligence and its importance for educators. Part 1 considers the basic question of what intelligence is. Part 2 discusses the implications of notions of intelligence for schooling, dealing with both the training of content knowledge and the training of intellectual skills. Each of these first two…

This collection of essays gives detailed information about the administrative organization, staffing, program, students, testing, and research regarding intensive English programs (IEP). The following essays are included: (1) "Introduction," by R. Barrett; (2) "The General Administration of the IEP," by R. Daesch; (3) "The Selection of Intensive…

In the introductory section of this report, the Second International Mathematics Study (1981-82) is described. The study, which involved about 500 classrooms in the United States and classrooms in 24 other countries in grades 8 and 12, was designed to provide detailed information about the content of the mathematics curriculum, how mathematics is…

In 1985, Indiana joined the growing list of states assessing students' achievement at various levels. During February 1985, over 63,000 third-grade students took the 40-item Indiana Basic Competency Skills Test. A mean of 34.7 was achieved. An item analysis was performed for a random sample of 6,439 students (approximately 10%). Findings confirm…

This study examined the relationship and relative importance of selected variables to successful performance of urban community college students on the American College Testing Program (ACT) College Outcome Measures Program (COMP). The importance of age, race, gender, type of degree, program or major category, admissions criteria and ACT…

The feasibility of creating an item bank from a teacher-made test was examined in two comparable sections of a graduate-level introductory measurement course. The 67-item midterm examination contained multiple-choice and master matching items, which required higher level cognitive processes such as application and analysis. The feasibility of…

Teacher competency tests are being used more frequently to assess the knowledge and skills of prospective teachers. Educational policymakers face the dilemma of setting passing standards for these tests which will satisfy the desire for meaningful quality standards for teachers while meeting the necessity for making available a reasonable number…

Intended to provide South Carolina educators with a tool for curriculum and instructional development that complements the assessment of the state writing objectives, this guide focuses on that part of the curriculum reflected in the state basic writing skills objectives. The various sections in the first part of the guide: (1) discuss the…

This report summarizes test results for the objective portion of the 1983 New Mexico High School Proficiency Examination (NMHSPE) in the Albuquerque Public School district. The NMHSPE assesses the mastery of skills and knowledge specified in the New Mexico Basic Skills Plan. A basic skill is the ability to apply one of five designated skills…

Papers from three annual conferences of the Research Council for Diagnostic and Prescriptive Mathematics are presented. They are: "The Mathematics Clinic Model: Parents as Clinicians and their Effect on Achievement, Attitude, and Self-Concept" (Lee Wise and Janet Scheer); "Heterogeneous versus Homogeneous Item Arrangements in…

The following papers are presented in this publication: (1) "The Technology of Teacher-Competency Testing" (Cordell Wynn); (2) "The Black Public School Teacher: Alabama's Endangered Species" (Charlena Bray); (3) "Early Identification and Preparation for Successful Entry into Teacher Education Programs" (M. Carolyn…

Points at which state policies can control entry of individuals into the teaching profession were studied. A 50-state survey identified points of policy intervention and types of policies in effect in each state during 1983-84. Four in-depth case studies provided details about the political environment and rationale behind each policy, the extent…