Stephen J. Friedman

Is an Examinee's Cognitive Style Related to the Impact of Answer Changing on Multiple-Choice Tests?.

Abstract Are some students advantaged when changing multiple-choice answers? The authors of this investigation assessed the importance of an examinees cognitive style in the answer-changing process. Two separate studies were conducted using undergraduates (n = 125 and n = 84). One set of variables consisted of a measure of field dependence/field independence, a measure of impulsivity/reflectivity, and an introductory psychology unit examination made up of multiple-choice items. A second set of variables was formed by gathering two answer-changing scores for each subject using the scannable forms from the unit examination—one reflecting the effect of answer changes and the other representing the number of changes. Canonical correlation analysis was used to describe the relationship between the two sets of variables. Only the first canonical correlation coefficient was statistically significant in each study. The structure coefficients indicated that the cognitive-style variables had little impact on the c...

Grading Teachers' Grading Policies

What constitutes sound testing and grading strategies? Here is one set of guidelines that principals might find useful when evaluating teach ers. Holding teachers more accountable for their grading practices should have a positive effect on the overall school climate.

Improving High School Grading Practices: "Experts" vs. Practitioners

quite a few discrepancies. For example, the measurement specialists recommended that achievement be the only consideration in determining grades. However, 12 of the 15 teachers believed strongly that student effort should also be a component of grades. Half the teachers also used grading procedures that differed for their high and low-ability students. The measurement specialists also recommended that daily written practice/drill assignments that

Andy's Right to Privacy in Grading and the Falvo versus Owasso Public Schools Case

bout six years ago, The Clearing House published my article “Who Needs to Know That Andy Got a D?” (Friedman 1996). That was the first time that anyone had discussed the laws and professional standards that apply to the situation in which students are required to announce their grades aloud while the teacher writes them in the grade book. After summarizing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), I contended that the law was probably not applicable in classroom settings; rather, it addressed records kept by institutions (i.e. buildings and school districts). As it turns out, I was right—according to the Supreme Court of the United States. I would like to share the history of this case and offer a comment on the outcome.