The increase in large-scale standardized testing in the nation's schools is one major result of demands for accountability. Such testing also impacts many aspects of school and family life and culture. For some, certain unintended impacts may be like side effects of medicines that need to be tolerated; for others they raise larger questions about…

A variety of testing methods can be extremely useful in finding out whether children who are experiencing learning difficulties may have one or more learning disabilities. This is an important and valuable role for testing. Another important issue concerns how best to ensure fairness for a learning disabled student when he or she must take a…

A unique program for providing General Educational Development (GED) diploma testing is described in this document which includes a brief description of the program, a press release, and a brochure. The program, developed by the Newton, Kansas, Unified School District No. 373, is intended to encourage truck drivers to get their diplomas by…

This report provides teachers, school administrators, students, and the general public with a summarized overview of results from the January 1997 administration of the Social Studies 33 Diploma Examination. The summary is divided into: (1) description of the examination; (2) achievement of standards; (3) provincial averages; (4) multiple-choice…

How early is too early? As testing has grown more widespread in recent decades, important issues have arisen concerning how to ensure that early childhood testing is used appropriately and with positive educational benefits. Actually, this kind of testing has been happening for a long time. Testing young children became a frequent practice when…

Teaching matters. Study after study confirms that students who have high quality teachers make significant and lasting achievement gains. Those with less effective teachers play a constant game of academic catch-up. Having high quality teachers consistently tops parents' list of critical elements of an effective school. As the National Commission…

This monograph explores many of the issues related to teacher assessment. In Section I, the criteria for teacher assessment and evaluation are discussed. An analysis is given of the issues involved in teacher assessment in the second section. Among the issues considered are the validity of research findings on teacher effectiveness, measurement…

An informal workplace literacy self-test was developed to enable employees to assess their math and reading skills and decide whether to enroll in appropriate literacy programs. The math section of the test consisted of 15 questions; the reading section consisted of 10 questions. The test was quick, confidential, self-administered, and…

There have always been tests, but there have never before been so many! It is natural for parents and concerned citizens to wonder what is motivating this increase and to examine the many reasons why. Ever since there have been schools, teachers have used tests of various kinds to find out how well students are learning and if their instruction…

This document is part of a series of materials meant to promote understanding of the knowledge and skills students must have and the kinds of work they must produce to be successful on the Graduation Exit Examination for the 21st Century (GEE 21). For GEE 21, student scores are reported at five achievement levels: advanced; mastery; basic;…

This brief paper for individuals interested in being qualified as educational interpreters for the deaf in Virginia provides basic information about educational interpreting and competency requirements of the Virginia Quality Assurance Screening (VQAS) program. It explains: the goal of educational interpreting; the role of the educational…

Testing in the nation's schools is on the rise. From the classroom quiz to the large-scale standardized test, the pressure for education to be "accountable" has intensified. As children experience this new tide of testing, it is helpful to become more aware of the different types of tests and their purposes. Students in the United States…

The accuracy and fairness of standardized testing is taken very seriously in the education world. These issues are a major focus of both the testing experts who develop standardized tests and the researchers who endeavor to ensure a test's fairness, reliability, validity, and accuracy. But many issues remain both controversial and complex. The…

The purpose of the fifth annual Dearborn Achievement Test Score report is to summarize and to help interpret the test results so that Dearborn citizens and educators will have a better understanding of the educational achievements of Dearborn students. The District-wide Testing Program assesses reading readiness, scholastic aptitude, academic…

This booklet is designed to help parents and community members answer questions about assessment in the context of the Vermont Framework of Standards, the Equal Education Opportunity Act of 1997, and other statewide initiatives. Assessment is changing in Vermont in response to new legislative mandates that call for standards-based assessment…