The oral communication course for English majors at the National University of Malaysia includes testing designed by faculty and coordinated with the curriculum. This practice is based on the ideas that a teacher who has been actively involved in curriculum design is in a good position to design a test for that curriculum, and that teacher-made…

Alternative assessments, also called authentic or performance assessments, have first the common notion of a meaningful performance or product. The use of such alternatives with students belonging to nondominant language and cultural groups is of interest because of the hope that this type of assessment can show what these students can really do…

Legal issues associated with competency testing of teachers are reviewed, with an emphasis on the problem of bias against minority examinees taking standardized tests. The central legislative foci of legal activity in this area are Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII requires employers to show, with validation studies,…

This discussion focuses on the use of appropriate and equitable tests for the screening and placement of language-minority students. It is proposed that evidence on the impact of testing on Hispanics indicates a relationship between testing practices and the benefits derived or not derived from the students' experience with public education.…

The development and validation of a test of listening comprehension for English as a second language at the Dutch National Institute for Educational Measurement (Cito) is described. The test uses two distinct item formats: true-false items and modified cloze items with two options. Both item formats were found to measure foreign language listening…

Abstractor's analyses of 12 science education research studies are presented. Nine analyses in the first section, focusing on various aspects of science instruction, include: a comparison of different approaches to helping students understand metric units of volume; use of specific questions to cue elementary school students in obtaining…

The increasing use of microcomputers and hand-held calculators has implications for mathematics and science instruction, achievement testing, and educational research. The potential effects of these technologies on curricula involve both content and delivery. In mathematics instruction, the focus may shift from manipulative to higher order skills.…

In 1985-86, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) will undertake the fifth national assessment of science knowledge, skills, and attitudes in 9-, 13-, and 17-year old Americans. The science objectives have been developed and reviewed by committees of scientists and educators. The objectives presented in this document are grouped…

Computer skills objectives have been developed for the 1986 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). These items will be administered to a large number of American students aged 9, 13, and 17 in grades 3, 7, and 11. For this first national assessment of computer skills, it was necessary to consider the existing expertise of school…

This handbook was designed to help Australian technical, adult, and further education (TAFE) teachers, especially those in vocational education areas, to assess and evaluate students. The guide contains seven chapters, each written so it can stand alone. At the beginning of each chapter is an explanation of what is to follow and a statement of the…

The development of an indirect oral proficiency test for foreign languages by the Defense Language Institute is described. The technique uses taped questions to elicit answers, also taped, that are evaluated according to the Foreign Service Institute's oral proficiency rating scale of 0 to 5. Tape recordings are used because of the large numbers…

This volume contains the initial draft of a model for assessing students in vocational education programs in Georgia. Addressed in the first section of the draft are some of the components that are believed to be critical in the development of a model for assessing vocational student achievement, including selecting a program for use in developing…

An activity was undertaken to develop written criterion-referenced tests for the agricultural mechanics component of the Applied Principles of Agribusiness and Natural Resources. Intended for tenth grade students who have completed Fundamentals of Agribusiness and Natural Resources Occupations, applied principles were designed to consist of three…

While Illinois educational officials developed a uniform assessment manual to accompany standardized tests, a companion handbook was developed by a consultant for use with teacher- and district-made tests. Criterion-referenced or mastery tests were the subject of the handbook. The handbook was designed to assess content validity as well as provide…

This module, the second of four units about vocational competency measurement, is module 18 in the Vocational Education Curriculum Specialist series. The purpose stated for the document is to help vocational educators determine the specific job-related competencies that need to be tested. Content is organized into two sections, each of which…