The framework and tools used for classroom assessment can have significant impacts on teacher practices and student achievement. Getting assessment right is an important component in creating positive learning experiences and academic success. Recent government reports (e.g., United States, Australia) call for the development of systems that use…

Three groups of persons are involved in the testing enterprise: test producers, test users, and test takers. A wide literature is available to guide the first two groups, but only recently have measurement professionals considered the interests of test takers in any careful way. The content of this chapter is presented as a set of 26…

In today's educational setting, assessment results weigh heavily in determining what students should know and be able to do. In addition, because assessment scores are often tied to accountability systems that affect both teaching and learning, they influence what is taught in the classroom. The changes in the use of assessments underscore the…

Single-case designs make available areas not easily studied in group research and make demands on an investigator that are not easily met in clinical situations. Single-case designs appear relatively straightforward, which may foster problems. Best guide for interpretation is recognition of logic of designs and common methodological problems.…

A brief, nontechnical state-of-the-art review of four common instruments and current practices in the field of scholastic aptitude testing is presented. The instruments include: the 1971 Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT), 1973 Henmon-Nelson Tests of Mental Ability (H-NTMA), 1979 Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) and the 1970 Short Form Test of…

This paper discusses the use of the Internet to enhance test selection, orientation, administration, and scoring. It begins with a review of potential Internet applications in these test areas. Also addressed are difficulties that may be encountered by counselors who use the Internet for testing and issues associated with using the Internet to…

On the basis of the characteristics of criterion-referenced tests, the contribution of German research to the development and application of criterion-referenced tests is discussed. (PN)

A review of the research on item writing, item format, test instructions, and item readability indicated the importance of instrument structure in the interpretation of test data. The effect of failing to consider these areas on the content validity of achievement test scores is discussed. (Author/GK)

The concept of students' cognitive preferences was analyzed considering empirical findings with cognitive preference tests. Cognitive preferences were identified as the modes of attending to the course subject matter: memory of specific facts, practical application, critical questioning of information, and identification of a fundamental…

Discusses the design and interpretation of instrumental phonetic studies of second language (L2) speech production. The speech of L2 learners is evaluated to determine to what extent it diverges from the differing phonetic norms of L1, which are estimated from the speech of a small number of native speakers. (Author/LMO)

This study examined the effect of two ways of question phrasing as related to three styles of expository writing on the test performance of elementary school children. Multiple-choice questions were developed for sets of passages which were written using three different syntactic structures; and which had different levels of difficulty. The…

Standardized tests rely on communicative behavior. Incongruities between the language of the test giver and the test taker can result in bias. Data on communications should be consulted so that tests allow for linguistic and cultural differences. This is the only way the abilities of Blacks can be accurately assessed. (VM)

A defense of the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA) in response to previous articles in this issue of this journal is presented by the test developer. The defense is detailed and addresses each previous article. (JKS)

Describes the development of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Details revisions in the MMPI and then evaluates positive and negative features of these revisions in the light of construct validity and professional practice. Argues that many suggested refinements to the instrument are being actively investigated by its…

Intended for teachers, this collection of articles on testing in the English language arts contains the following titles: "What Do Test Scores 'Really' Mean in Educational Policy?" by George F. Madaus; "Testing and Literacy: A Contradiction in Terms?" by Marilyn Wilson; "Throwing in the TOWL," by Mary Jane Curry; "Taking the Authority Figure Out…