Assessment

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The Handbook of Literacy Assessment and Evaluation.
Harp, Bill. (1996). This book discusses assessment from two points of view: Section One: Teacher-Made Assessment and Evaluation Tools; and Section Two: Published Assessment and Evaluation Tools. Between the two sections, numerous types of assessment are addressed such as assessing background knowledge, interest inventories, portfolios, computer-assisted testing, reading miscue inventory, and the Woodcock. The authors cover a wide range of assessments for all ages.

Advances in Mixed-Method Evaluation: The Challenges and Benefits of Integrating Diverse Paradigms.
Greene, Jennifer C. and Caracelli, Valerie J. Eds. (1997). Number 74 in the New Directions for Evaluation series. This issue discusses using a variety of evaluation designs. Each chapter is written by a different author allowing for several viewpoints. Some of the chapter titles are: Crafting Mixed-Method Evaluation Designs; Applying Mixed-Methods Under the Framework of Theory-Driven Evaluations: and Mixing and Matching; and Methods and Models.

Assessing Adult Learning: A Guide for Practitioners.
Moran, Joseph J. (1997). This book is part of the Professional Practices in Adult Education and Human Resource Development series. The author addresses the issue of informal assessment of adult education students. The author covers a wide range of topics such as: Understanding the Basic Principles of Information Assessment, Designing Relevant Tests, Achieving Authenticity in Performance Assessments, and Applying Assessment Strategies.

Assessing Adult Learning in Diverse Settings: Current Issues and Approaches.
Rose, Amy D. and Leahy, Meredyth A. Eds. (1997). Number 75 in the New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education series. This issue addresses the concerns of assessing adult students. The contributors discuss issues such as the principles of assessment, multicultural approaches, assessment in adult basic education, and workplace education.

How Do They Know They Know: Evaluating Adult Learning.
Vella, Jane et al. (1998). The authors give a step-by-step approach to evaluating education programs. They begin with the philosophy of evaluation and continue with the process and what to do with the results. Examples of actual programs are used.

A User's Guide to Program Templates: A New Tool for Evaluation Program Content.
Scheirer, Mary Ann. Ed. (1996). Number 72 in the New Directions for Evaluation series. This issue discusses using templates when doing program evaluation. Some of the chapter titles are: The Design of Templates as Tools for Formative Evaluation; A Template for Assessing the Organizational Bases for Program Implementation; and Roles for Program Templates in Evaluation: A Broader Look. Each chapter is written by a different author.

Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers.
Angelo, Thomas A. and Cross, K. Patricia. (1993). A part of the Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education series. This book in divided into three parts: Getting Started in Classroom Assessment; Classroom Assessment Techniques; and Building on What We Learn. The text has some basic principles and ideas that can be adapted to a variety of settings including adult basic education programs. Ideas are given for a variety of assessment techniques and are indexed so that they can be easily identified.

Dimensions of Change: An Authentic Assessment Guidebook.
Clarke, Mallory and Schneider, Melody. (1993). A resource for teachers and administrators. It gives suggestions on student assessment and portfolio uses. The book also covers how to develop a process for assessing students.

It Belongs to Me: A Guide to Portfolio Assessment in Adult Education Programs.
Fingeret, Hanna Arlene. (n.d.). The need for alternative methods of learner assessment has long been recognized by many adult literacy educators. This guide is designed to introduce the concept of portfolio assessment and suggest ways in which portfolios might be integrated into a total assessment plan. This is a valuable tool for those who have decided that standardized tests "do not tell me what I need to know about individual students in order to work with them effectively," or who have tried "folders" that did not work.

Portfolios in Teacher Education.
McLaughlin, Maureen and Voyg, Mary Ellen. (1996). The authors have based this book on their experiences teaching in the college classroom. They have their students keep portfolios as the assessment tool for the course. This enables the students to see first hand how portfolio assessment works and allows the students to transfer this knowledge to their own classrooms when they begin teaching.

Evaluation and Auditing: Prospects for Convergence.
Wisler, Carl. (1996). Number 71 in the New Directions for Evaluation series. This issue covers topics on evaluation and auditing. Some of the chapter titles are: Blending Two Cultures: State Legislative Auditing and Evaluation; Performance Audit and Evaluation: Similar Tools, Different Relationships?; and Auditing and Evaluation: Whither the Relationship? Each chapter is written by a different author which gives the reader more than one viewpoint.

Techniques in Testing.
Madsen Harold S. (1983). Providing practical information that relates directly to daily classroom procedures this text gives suggestions for testing based on established theoretical principles. Samples for testing language subskills and communication skills are included.

When More is Less: A Comparative Analysis for Placing Students in Adult Literacy Classes.
Venezky, Richard L. et al. (1993). This research article discusses the use of different placement instruments for students entering adult basic education classes. This study covers three major areas: Methods, Results, and Conclusions. A source of information when deciding what placement procedures to use in an adult education program.

Reaching Adult Learners with Whole Language Strategies.
Kroeker, Tirza and Henrichs, Margaret. (1993). This book provides comprehensive information about how to teach adults using whole language. It is divided into four parts titled: Agenda for Collaboration and Transformation; Getting to Know Adult Literacy Learners; Sharing Whole Languages Strategies; and Tailoring the Curriculum. The book is full of ideas, sample lessons, portfolios, and evaluations.

Designing Instruction for Adult Learners.
Dean, Gary J. (1994). This book explores the aspects to be considered when teaching adults in a variety of situations. Some of the chapter titles include: Assessing and Developing Your Skills; Learner Needs Assessment Strategies: Evaluating Learners; and Evaluating the Instructional Plan.

Preventing the Misuse of Evaluation.
Stevens Carla J. and Dial, Micah. Eds. (1994). Number 64 in the New Directions for Evaluation series. This issue discusses a variety of ways that evaluations are misused. Some chapter titles are: Use and Abuse of Internal Evaluation; Confronting Ideology and Self-Interest: Avoiding Misuse of Evaluation; Evaluation Misuse from a User's Perspective. Each chapter is written by a different author allowing for more than one opinion.

Literacy and Development: Rationales, Assessment and Innovation.
Wagner, Daniel A. (1993). This study addresses the need for improved assessment and evaluation for students and programs as a whole. The author believes this needs to happen before the literacy rates will improve. Some of the subjects discussed are: relevance of assessment; program evaluation and accountability; roles of agencies and experts; demystifying the myths; and innovation in literacy work.

Strategies to Inspire Active Learning: Complete Handbook.
Harmin, Merrill. (1995). This book includes a large range of teaching strategies to encourage student participation. Some of the areas addressed are: Creating a New Portfolio; Evaluation in the Classroom: An Ongoing and Continuous Process; Evaluating Programs for Adult Learners; and Self Needs Evaluations.

Outcomes and Measures in Family Literacy.
National Center for Family Literacy. (1996). This books provides various assessment testing information. The first several chapters discuss the terms, concepts, and issues. The bulk of the book covers assessment tests, inventories, and checklists for adults, families, and children. Each test entry contains a description, administration, scoring, reliability, validity, price, and ordering information.

Assessing Success in Family Literacy Projects: Alternative Approaches to Assessment and Evaluation.
Holt, Daniel D. Ed. (1994). Each chapter is written by a separate author allowing for different viewpoints to be expressed. Some of the chapter titles include: Alternative Approaches to Assessment and Evaluation; Initial Assessment; First Step to Success; Next Steps: Using the Results to Refine the Project; and Assessing Progress: Are We Progressing?

Family Portfolios: Documenting Change in Parent-Child Relationships.
Popp, Robert J. (1992). This publication discusses the concept of authentic assessment and focuses on the use of portfolios as assessment tools in family literacy programs. The report defines the types of information and artifacts that can be included in portfolios, and provides ways to analyze portfolio data.

A Guide to Developing Community-Based Family Support Programs.
(1995). This book has a wealth of information and ideas for designing a family literacy program. It is divided into five sections: An Overview of Family Support Programs; Getting Started; Designing the Program; Implementing the Program; and Evaluating the Program. These sections discuss topics such as: the history of family support programs; identifying a client population; timing of services; establishing and maintaining ties with families; coordination within and across agencies; and designing, conducting, and using the evaluation.

Parents and Literacy.
Morrow, Leslie Mandel. Eds. et al. (1995). A two part book with each chapter having a different author. The first part discusses family literacy and younger children and the second part covers family literacy with teenagers and adults. The chapter titled "The Family Portfolio: Using Authentic Assessment in Family Literacy Programs" shows that the family portfolio is a useful alternative for evaluation in family literacy programs.

Involving Parents: A Handbook for Participation in Schools.
Lyons Peggy et al. (1983). The majority of the book covers two subjects. The first discusses ways to get parents involved in several aspects of the school. It gives ideas for parent education, home-based instruction, instruction at school, and advisory groups. The second part is a self-assessment model which will enable a school to see how much parents are involved.

Portfolio Assessment in the Reading-Writing Classroom.
Tierney, Robert J. (1991). This book provides information about how to implement portfolios in the classrooms. It contains actual materials used by the teachers in the classrooms, and examples of student portfolios across subjects and grades. Research-based information and portfolio assessment are also covered in this book.

Portfolios and Beyond: Collaborative Assessment in Reading and Writing.
Glazer, Susan Mandel and Brown, Carol Smullen. (1993). Although this book is directed towards elementary education, it has many ideas that can apply to adult education. The chapter titles include: An Alternative Approach to Classroom Assessment: Why Change?; Assessing Classroom Environments; Frameworks for Getting Started: Assessing Writing; Assessing Comprehension Processes; Assessing Comprehension Products; Reporting Progress: Students, Teachers, and Parents Collaborate; and Questions Teachers Ask.

Assessing Reading Assessment: Practices and Possibilities.
Valencia, Sheila, Ed. et al. (1994). This book includes nine cases studies describing new assessment efforts. The book is divided into five parts: Authentic Assessment in Classrooms; Understanding Authentic Reading Assessment; Authentic Assessment in the Classroom and Beyond; Large-Sale Authentic Assessment; and Authentic Reading Assessment, Present and Future.

Bringing Literacy to Life: Issues and Options in Adult ESL Literacy.
Wrigley, Heide Spruck and Guth, Gloria J.A. (1992). A handbook for ESL teachers and programs. The chapter on Learner Assessment includes: Background: Options in Assessment; Practice: Linking Assessment and Approach; and Reflections: Selecting Alternative Assessments. Other chapters include such issues as: Approaches and Materials; Teaching Adult ESL Literacy in the Multilevel Classroom; and Curriculum.

Making Meaning, Making Change.
Auerbach, Elsa Robert. (1992). Unlike traditional curriculum guides that specify the structure, sequence, and content for instruction, this unique book raises issues about teaching and curriculum development and invites readers to share their experiences, make their assumptions about literacy explicit, and work together to investigate instructional methods. The author describes how adult ESL literacy teachers and students can collaborate so that a literacy curriculum is relevant to students' life experiences and helps them confront the challenges they face as workers, parents, and community members.

Adventures in Assessment: Volumes 1-10.
McGrail, Loren and Simmons, Alison.(1991-1997). A series of 10 booklets developed by programs in Massachusetts discussing learner-centered assessment in adult education. Some of the topics are: Getting Started; Looking Back, Starting Again; Tale of the Tools; Responding to the Dream Conference; and Partnership Project. This series covers all aspects of assessment in the adult literacy field, including ESL.

Teaching Multilevel Classes in ESL.
Bell, Jill. (1988). This text discusses the difficulties and advantages of teaching a multilevel ESL class while also providing detailed suggestions of activities and exercises that can be used and adapted for the mixed-level classroom. Also included are suggestions on evaluation and assessment.

Talking Shop.
Nash, Andrea, et al. (1991). This innovative and lively source book is written for teachers by teachers. Their personal stories of how these teachers incorporate themes that surface in adult ESL literacy classes into ongoing lessons clearly illustrates the participatory process in action.