Because the skills tested on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) are higher order skills than those of basic literacy, teaching basic literacy will not necessarily improve SAT scores. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, which does test literacy, indicates that students do possess basic literacy skills. (IRT) Aspect of National…

Examines whether teaching candidates who passed a basic competency screening test also possessed a level of general academic aptitude significantly higher than those who did not pass. Findings from 293 teachers who took the California Basic Educational Skills Test and had Scholastic Aptitude Test scores available show that requiring minimum…

Looks at four sources for measuring national student performance: (1) the National Assessment of Educational Progress study of basic skills; (2) competency testing in reading, writing, and arithmetic; (3) college entrance examination scores; and (4) rates of educational attainment by sex, race, ability level, and socioeconomic status. (SK)

This study examined major characteristics of instruments commonly used in statewide teacher certification procedures and the possible relations of these characteristics to the uneven success rate among minority teaching candidates. The study analyzed raw scores and selected variables associated with 63 white female candidates who took the Georgia…

Results are summarized for a number of tests administered to secondary school students in Idaho. A description of each test and the students tested is provided, as well as the purposes of the test and a brief summary of results. Two tests administered especially in Idaho are included. The Idaho Proficiency Test, a criterion referenced test of…

The widespread use of testing to make critical individual decisions concerning education or employment opportunities, coupled with growing vigilance by the handicapped community, may mean increased legal scrutiny regarding this type of testing. The measurement community is also aware of difficult, perhaps unresolvable psychometric problems…

Describes a study comparing English course-level placement based on writing samples and standardized placement scores, as well as two different methods of grading writing samples. Results support the use of writing samples to supplement standardized placement scores as well as the use of a group holistic method of grading writing samples. Includes…

Evaluates the factors that affect student performance on the mathematics portion of the Florida standardized test designed to measure student competency at postsecondary institutions. Finds that remedial courses have a negative effect on test scores, and recommends articulation programs, admissions requirement evaluation, and curriculum assessment…

This report summarizes the 1985-86 results for three New York state examination programs--the elementary school Pupil Evaluation Program (PEP) and the high school Regents and Regents Competency Tests. Results on the PEP showed passing rates improved steadily over the last four years. About one-half of New York State's graduating seniors are…

This report provides a record of student achievement for the State of New York in the 1984-85 school year. It brings together a variety of achievement indicators with a clear focus on knowledge and higher-order skills. Three types of achievement data are presented. One consists of scores obtained on New York State (NYS) tests. These scores may be…

This report summarizes results of student achievement in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) on the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) tests in 1986-87. Major findings indicate the following: (1) 99.4% of AISD seniors to graduate in May 1987 passed the Exit-Level TEAMS tests, with only 17 denied diplomas in…

Most other nations have a very different approach to measuring academic achievement at the end of high school and signaling that information to universities and other interested parties. In Australia, Denmark, England, Scotland, Finland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and many Canadian and German provinces, for example, high school exit…

One hundred and three students from the 1985 graduating class of Hightstown (New Jersey) High School took New Jersey's College Basic Skills Placement Test (CBSPT) after entering two-year and four-year colleges in New Jersey. The 103, who represented the entire distribution of class ranks, rated themselves fairly accurately on their abilities in…

In this article, the authors describe various rationales for accountability testing programs over the past century. This history forms the backdrop for current test-driven reforms, including Public Law 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), which was signed into law in January 2002. The goals of the authors are first, to illustrate…