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One answer to standardized testing is the direct and continuous measurement of performance. Direct, continuous naturalistic observation of behavior yields a great deal of information per assessment unit. The information is precise and because it is direct, there is no question that it represents a "true sample" of the target behavior, as there is when standardized testing is used. Mediators of behavior change (teachers and/or parents) and their consultants (e.g., the school psychologist) receive accurate, daily, almost immediate feedback concerning the efficacy of the behavioral strategy employed so that inappropriate or ineffective consequences may be altered rapidly. (A brief manual for recording behavior rates and a specific case study is described.) The use of behavior rates has been examined as it relates to nonacademic behavior, but there is an unlimited potential in such use for teacher training, teacher effectiveness, identification of student competence, and a host of other academically oriented areas. (Author)

The report documents a problem solving approach to the adoption of procedures for dealing with serious behavior problems of severely emotionally disturbed and autistic students in California public schools. Summarized are a review of the literature, an analysis of general techniques of student control, and a list of advantages and disadvantages of such behavior control strategies as physical intervention, timeout, and corporal punishment. The end product of the project is explained to be an approved policy list of eight types of behavior control for use by classroom teachers. Specific procedures are described, (including parent involvement), and maximum duration information is listed. (CL)

With the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, classrooms are now mandated to employ behavioral methods to address target behaviors. These relevant behavioral strategies have long been advanced and disseminated by the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Notwithstanding this capability, proponents of the traditional child-centered pedagogy have long argued against ABA implementation, claiming that it is ineffective in promoting true intellectual development. Now a major breakthrough has occurred. State departments of education are increasingly complying with IDEIA by mandating funding and training of school staff in ABA methods. A relevant review of the guidelines and capabilities of ABA is presented and concludes with an examination of various state departments of education to identify its current employment.

This conference focused on two themes: research in testing and the cooperative research program, and testing in the language arts. The morning session was concerned with the impact of the federal Cooperative Research Program on educational research. Papers were entitled: The Support of Measurement Projects by the Cooperative Research Program. (Hall, Hjelm, and Conrad); In-Basket Tests and Factors in Administrative Performance (Frederiksen); Models of Teacher Behavior in the Classroom (Travers); and the Prediction of Talented Behavior in the Junior High School (McGuire). Papers for the afternoon session were entitled: Testing for Elegance (Martin); Competency First: New Tests in Foreign Languages (Starr); and Estimating Structure in Prose (Lorge). The luncheon address, The Pace of Change, was delivered by Arthur S. Adams and recounted his experiences as an educational consultant in emerging African nations. (MH)