Testing

The General Education Development (GED) test has been widely used in Canada over the past 25 years as a means of conferring a qualification deemed to be equivalent to a high school diploma. The author of this paper makes the case for a system called PRIME as an attractive alternative to the GED.

The question of how much and how well children are learning in school is a concern for parents, students, employers, and the general public. The authors of this article look at three critical measures of success: student achievement in the core areas of language, mathematics and science; the disparity of student achievement among different socioeconomic groups; and high-school dropout rates.

This document, written in clear language, offers a starting point for those who want to learn more about dyslexia. The author has included information on the causes and characteristics of dyslexia and describes the dyslexic way of learning.

According to the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Canadian 15-year-olds scored above OECD averages in reading, math, and science literacy. Canada’s science scores put it in the top seven of 57 countries.

This report is based on a research project that analyzed five pre-employment tests to determine the skill level required to complete them successfully. Three of the tests were commercially available ones, while the others had been prepared in-house by individual employers. All were being used by employers in eastern Ontario.

This issue includes an account of a Winnipeg conference on training for the high-performance workplace and an update on trials for the first sets of questions for the Test of Workplace Essential Skills (TOWES).

This document includes the following information:- Foreword - What is clear writing and design? - Writing in clear language- Clear design - Document testing - Oral and Internet communication - Advocating for clear writing - Clear language workshop - Workshop exercises - Workshop handouts- Workshop overheads- Resources

While reading T. Scott Murray's article entitled "It's ok to cry wolf if the wolf is at the door: A rejoinder to Tom Sticht". The author couldn't help feeling a great deal of sympathy for Scott.

This discussion paper focuses on the issue of testing as part of the process of assessing learners in workplace literacy programs.

The author uses a technical test review to analyze seven assessment tools that have been used in workplace programs. Each instrument is described in terms of the test content, the description of scores, and the test development process.