Testing includes all the things teachers do to assess the learning progress of their students and to diagnose their learning difficulties. Most teachers can develop whatever tools they need to assess student progress, but, if teachers are to test rigorously and frequently, they must be given adequate time to evaluate students individually,…

This article presents the author's comments on ""Lake Woebegone," Twenty Years Later" by J. J. Cannell, MD. J. J. Cannell's article on the so-called "Lake Woebegone" effect for K-12 educational testing systems is mostly an historical account of technical issues and policy considerations that led in part to development…

Argues that testing and sin both are based on assumptions about values. Proposes and describes the seven deadly sins of testing: procedural mechanization, competitive coerciveness, cultural egocentrism, overeagerness (gluttony), avarice (greed), disconnection from community, and ignorance of self-implication. (SR)

The research and development of mental (standardized) testing and its relationship to educational practice is traced historically from its pre-World War I roots to its controversial national prominence in the 1970s. How standardized tests have been used in research and in schools is analyzed. (BS)

Discusses the educational philosophies of the two camps of the Progressive Education Movement: the child-centered education camp, exemplified by the work of John Dewey, and mass education camp exemplified by the rising "science" of educational testing (led by Edward L. Thorndike) and the growth and centralized authority of large…

Prepared especially for decision makers involved in designing appropriate programs for kindergarten children, this research monograph concentrates on four specific issues that have proven difficult in most communities. Chapter 1 explains how kindergarten entry age affects children's school success. Chapter 2 discusses the ability of tests to…

Whereas in the past innovations in the education of younger children have led to changes in the education of older children, the direction of influence now appears to have changed. The influence on the kindergarten by the primary grades seems to be changing kindergarten practice. In reconstituting the kindergarten to make it more responsive to the…

Describes alternatives to the standard special education approach of assessment, referral, and placement. Provides three guiding principles that personalize the assessment process. Proposes solutions: meeting with parents to plan for student success, assembling a team of professionals to review and solve problems, and establishing formal…

Six prominent educators discuss barriers to achieving quality authentic assessment and the feasibility of implementing authentic assessment on a national basis. Points out the importance of using multiple assessments, the lack of a definition of authentic assessment, problems in developing quality assessments, and the immense cost of implementing…

The functions that IQ and aptitude tests now serve in schools and the trends that may modify the present pattern of test use are presented. Current research on intelligence and aptitude and the kind of intelligence tests that might prove more useful in instructional planning are also discussed. (Author/RD)

The historical roots of current educational assessment practices are traced, exploring assessment in the generic sense rather than as educational measurement. Our culture of assessment developed long ago, predating the history of educational measurement. Current inefficiencies in education and faults in school life may have grown with this…

To increase educational productivity and efficiency, educational process goals as well as achievement goals must be considered. Educational process goals are interpreted to include student perceptions of the social environment, creativity, self-concept, participation in extra-curricular activities, and interest in subject matter. Ignoring these…