NCJ Number
58075
Date Published
1978
Length
160 pages
Annotation
FOCUSING SOLELY ON TESTS FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION, THIS VOLUME OF AN EIGHT-PART EVALUATION SERIES DESCRIBES AND PRESCRIBES PROCEDURES FOR MEASURING ACHIEVEMENT GOALS.
Abstract
THE AIMS OF PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENT EVALUATIONS ARE SUPPORTED BY THIS BOOK IN TWO WAYS: (1) IT PROVIDES SUGGESTIONS, PROCEDURES, AND RULES OF THUMB FOR PERFORMING EVALUATION TASKS RELATED TO MEASURING ACHIEVEMENT FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION; AND (2) IT INTRODUCES SOME OF THE THEORIES UNDERLYING THE PROCEDURES FOR DEVELOPING AND SELECTING ACHIEVEMENT TESTS AND INTERPRETING THEIR RESULTS. THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM OF SELECTING AN APPROPRIATE TEST--EITHER NORM- OR CRITERION-REFERENCED. A UNIQUE STEP-BY-STEP METHOD FOR COMPUTING AN INDEX OF TEST USEFULNESS FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION IS PRESCRIBED. THE THIRD CHAPTER PRESENTS AN ANNOTATED LIST OF RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPING INHOUSE TESTS, INCLUDING SUBJECT-ORIENTED PUBLICATIONS ON HOW TO ASSESS ACHIEVEMENT, READINGS ON HOW TO CONSTRUCT AND NORM AN ACHIEVEMENT TEST, UNCOPYRIGHTED BANKS OF TEST ITEMS AND OBJECTIVES, PRODUCERS OF MADE-TO-ORDER TESTS, AND FURTHER READINGS IN PROGRAM EVALUATION. SUBSEQUENT CHAPTERS EXAMINE THE VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF ACHIEVEMENT TESTS AND USE OF ACHIEVEMENT TEST DATA. A TABLE FOR PROGRAM-TEST COMPARISONS IS APPENDED, ALONG WITH REMINDERS REGARDING COMMON ITEM CONSTRUCTION ERRORS. ILLUSTRATIONS, GRAPHS, EXAMPLES AND AN INDEX ARE INCLUDED.