Although alternatives exist, unseen, written examinations still appear to be a major component of assessment in higher education in the UK. Such exams can be unsettling for students new to higher education, particularly for those with specific learning difficulties. The concept of an 'attainment curve' is developed to assist mark attribution and…

This article explores the history of digital testing technology. Using an organisation that pioneered the use of international large-scale assessments -- the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) -- I discuss the role of computers, punched cards, answer cards and scanning machines as an example of…

A recent, widely publicized scandal involved students who obtained fraudulent diagnoses of learning disabilities in an effort to get accommodations on college admissions tests. Although the exact circumstances of the scandal are unusual, the methods used to obtain diagnoses and accommodations illustrate widespread problems with current policies.…

We investigated the effects of instructions to "stay on task" on preschoolers' attention and cognitive performance in the face of either incomprehensible or comprehensible distraction. Three- and 4-year-olds completed problem-solving tasks while a distracting event played continuously in the background under conditions of (a) no…

Extended time is among the most common testing accommodations given to students with a wide range of disabilities. However, although school psychologists are often involved in accommodation decisions, many are unaware of research from the past decade that has changed their understanding of extended time. Used properly, testing accommodations let…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the distributed presentation of different versions of a question would produce better performance on a new version of the question than distributed presentation of the same version of the question. A total of 48 four question sets of five alternative multiple-choice questions were presented…

In this study, we use the US nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort to examine inequalities in opportunities to learn mathematics. Specifically, we examine the characteristics of US students' elementary school math teachers and the instruction they provide. While our findings are consistent with previous…

This chapter introduces theory that undergirds the role of testing adaptations in assessment, provides examples of item modifications and testing accommodations, reviews research relevant to each, and introduces a new paradigm that incorporates opportunity to learn (OTL), academic enablers, testing adaptations, and inferences that can be made from…

Two different traditions of response-time (RT) modeling are reviewed: the tradition of distinct models for RTs and responses, and the tradition of model integration in which RTs are incorporated in response models or the other way around. Several conceptual issues underlying both traditions are made explicit and analyzed for their consequences. We…

Instructions for the Matrix Reasoning Test (MRT) of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition were modified by explicitly stating that the subtest was untimed or that a per-item time limit would be imposed. The MRT was administered within one of four conditions: with (a) standard administration instructions, (b) explicit instructions…

The transition from high school to college can be more difficult for some students than others. States continue to report high numbers of students requiring remediation; Minnesota is not exempt from this trend. Examining Minnesota public high school graduates from the classes of 2007-2013 who enrolled in postsecondary education and those enrolled…

The transition from high school to college can be more difficult for some students than others. States continue to report high numbers of students requiring remediation; Minnesota is not exempt from this trend. Examining Minnesota public high school graduates from the Classes of 2007-2013 who enrolled in postsecondary education and those enrolled…

The transition from high school to college can be more difficult for some students than others. States continue to report high numbers of students requiring remediation; Minnesota is not exempt from this trend. Examining Minnesota public high school graduates from the Classes of 2006-2012 who enrolled in postsecondary education and those enrolled…

In examining images of the 1950s fictional teacher, scholars have discussed gender roles and stereotypes, but media analysis generally focuses on sociological and political trends, such as the Cold War and the cultural construction of meaning through audience reception. Television and film studies also include attention to teaching media literacy…

The masked priming paradigm was used to examine the role of the root and verb pattern morphemes in lexical access within the verb system of Arabic. Three groups participated in the study: grade 6 dyslexics, a reading-level-matched group and grade 6 normal readers. The first group consisted of: 28 grade 6 reading disabled (RD) students, 8 girls and…