The array of different philosophical positions underlying contemporary views on competence, assessment strategies and justification have led to advances in assessment science. Challenges may arise when these philosophical positions are not considered in assessment design. These can include (a) a logical incompatibility leading to varied or…

Validation research for educational achievement tests is often limited to an examination of intended test score interpretations. This article calls for an expansion of validation research in three dimensions. First, validation must attend to actual test use and its consequences, not just score meaning. Second, validation must attend to unintended…

In this article we provide a critique of the interpretation and utilization of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results by the National Education Authorities in Turkey. First, we define and explain what OECD's PISA is. Second, we make an overview of the media coverage in Turkey of the PISA 2003 and 2006 results. Third, we…

Educational achievement is a very important issue for parents, teachers, and the government. An accurate measurement plays a very important role in evaluating achievement fairly, and, therefore, analysis methods have been developed considerably in recent years. Education based on long-time learning processes forms a fruitful base for item tests,…

The rank-ordering method for standard maintaining was designed for the purpose of mapping a known cut-score (e.g. a grade boundary mark) on one test to an equivalent point on the test score scale of another test, using holistic expert judgements about the quality of exemplars of examinees' work (scripts). It is a novel application of an old…

Validity is a critically important issue with far-reaching implications for testing. The history of conceptualizations of validity over the past 50 years is reviewed, and 3 important areas of controversy are examined. First, the question of whether the three traditionally recognized types of validity should be integrated as a unitary entity of…

Educational test theory consists of statistical and methodological tools to support inferences about examinees' knowledge, skills, and accomplishments. The evolution of test theory has been shaped by the nature of users' inferences which, until recently, have been framed almost exclusively in terms of trait and behavioral psychology. Progress in…

The article examines problems in the traditional assessment procedures used with the physically handicapped and discusses the use of adaptive behavior scales with emphasis on application of the results through a multidisciplinary approach. Selected adaptive behavior scales are described, and guidelines for test administration with the physically…

The idea that validity should be considered a property of inferences, rather than of assessments, has developed slowly over the past century. In early writings about the validity of educational assessments, validity was defined as a property of an assessment. The most common definition was that an assessment was valid to the extent that it…

Part of a special issue on adaptive behavior, the article discusses three assessment-related issues: (1) clarity of the construct of adaptive behavior; (2) norm samples for adaptive behavior scales; and (3) predictive validity of adaptive behavior scales. Improvements are noted in the standardization properties of major adaptive behavior scales.…

Adaptive behavior instruments that are environmentally relevant can be used effectively in intervention planning for physically handicapped students. Five desirable characteristics in such instruments are listed, selected instruments are reviewed, and a systems approach to assessing adaptive behavior is described in the context of developing…

Examines the appropriateness of a cut-off score derived from the Angoff procedure for a reading test in the United Kingdom. Shows that the recommended cut-off score is too low. Suggests ways that standard setting might draw on a range of information to produce appropriate and rationally defensible cut-off scores. (DSK)

The background out of which "truth in testing" legislation arose is reviewed in this report, which also describes existing state and federal testing legislation, details arguments raised in hearings on the legislation, analyzes the legal issues raised, and provides a framework for simplifying the arguments and gathering more information.…

Designed for parents of kindergarten and elementary school children in Austin, Texas, this brochure explains the structure and function of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. A question and answer format is used to provide information on the scope and purposes of the tests, grade level differences in testing, meaning and accuracy of the scores, and…

The article discusses recommended adaptive behavior scales for use with hearing impaired, visually impaired, and multihandicapped sensory impaired individuals. Assessment instruments developed and used in the National Independent Living Skills Project, which have applicability across sensory impaired populations, are also described. (Author/JW)