THIS STUDY WAS INITIATED TO ANALYZE AND COMPARE THE CONTENT OF GOALS OF FIFTH- AND SIXTH-GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS PROGRAMS WITH THE LANGUAGE ARTS AREAS ASSESSED BY STANDARDIZED ACHIEVEMENT TESTS. BY USING A FRAMEWORK OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS RECOMMENDED BY SEVERAL AUTHORITIES IN THE LANGUAGE ARTS, SEVEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS CLASSIFIED AND JUDGED THE RELEVANCE OF THE CONTENT OF GOALS STATED IN LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM BULLETINS AND OF ITEMS IN STANDARDIZED TESTS. RESULTS INDICATED THAT ABOUT HALF OF THE GOALS DEALT WITH AREAS OF MECHANICS--HANDWRITING, SPELLING, AND USAGE--AND THAT THERE WERE PROPORTIONATELY MORE GOALS ENUNCIATED FOR HANDWRITING SKILLS ALONE THAN FOR ALL THE SKILLS OF EXPRESSING THOUGHTS AND IDEAS. GOALS EMPHASIZED EXPOSITORY RATHER THAN CREATIVE CONTENT, AND THE ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE AND APPLICATION OF MECHANICAL SKILLS RATHER THAN THE ACQUISITION OF THE ABILITIES OF COMPREHENSION, ANALYSIS, SYNTHESIS, AND EVALUATION. TEST ITEMS ADEQUATELY MEASURED LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THE GOALS. MEASUREMENT OF THE ATTAINMENT OF THE MAJORITY OF THE GOALS--PARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS OF COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE PROCESSES IN LISTENING, SPEAKING, AND WRITING--REQUIRED OTHER ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES. IT IS RECOMMENDED, THEN, THAT STANDARDIZED TESTS BE SUPPLEMENTED BY TEACHER-MADE TESTS, SUBJECTIVE PROCEDURES, CUMULATIVE CASE RECORDS, AND GENERAL EVALUATION TECHNIQUES. THIS DISSERTATION IS AVAILABLE FROM UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS, ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN. (AUTHOR/DL)