In 2018, 26 states administered a college admissions test to all public school juniors. Nearly half of those states proposed to use those scores as their academic achievement indicators for federal accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); many others are planning to use those scores for other accountability purposes.…

A particular trait of the educational system under socialist reign was accountability at the input side--appropriate facilities, centrally decided curriculum, approved text-books, and uniformly trained teachers--but no control on the output. It was simply assumed that it met the agreed standards, which was, in turn, proven by the statistics…

The question of what it means to follow the "Standards" is discussed. It is argued that the "Standards" consists of statements of general principles, and that interpretation for specific applications requires professional judgment. As a result, disagreements among professionals on the applicability of particular standards to specific situations…

Uses and consequences of educational testing have increased dramatically in recent years. Professional standards to ensure fair treatment of all affected by test results are more important than ever, but standards for developing and using educational tests are only helpful if they are followed. Test developers and users each have a role to play in…

Explores the basis of negative sentiments toward high-stakes student testing and current critiques of the practice from within the education profession. Provides evidence for 10 unintended, unrecognized, or unarticulated positive consequences. Also examines the relationship between high-stakes testing and accountability systems. (Author/SLD)

The "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" have evolved in the breadth and depth of coverage of issues in educational testing and measurement since their first publication in 1954. There were a number of substantive changes in the 1999 revision that addressed validity, fairness, accommodations, and compliance with the…

Discusses some problems, pitfalls, and paradoxes that challenge measurement theory and practice, especially for K-12 achievement testing. Considers a number of technical issues, especially some related to reliability. Also discusses a number of practical or political issues related to validation and accountability. (SLD)