Teacher dissatisfaction with the existing math testing program in the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) led to the establishment of the Committee on Citywide Mathematics Testing. The committee was formed to identify tests to be used, grade levels to be tested, and testing schedules. The committee recommended that tests be given in the spring…

Forty-six achievement tests were compared for content validity, criterion-related validity, reliability, and norms. Results show that more popular tests provide the user with technical data in the critical areas examined, although the information provided may be incomplete. (Author/MT)

Describes a study conducted at the University of Tennessee at Marin to find a test more suitable than the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (NDRT) to accurately measure reading improvement in developmental classes. Found no support for replacing the NDRT with the Descriptive Tests of Language Skills or the Comparative Guidance and Placement Program. (DMM)

The suggestion that multiple-choice items can be converted to true-false items without essentially changing what the item measures and with possible improvement in efficiency is investigated. Each of the 90 four-choice items in a natural science test was rewritten into a pair of true-false items, one true, one false. The resulting 180 items were…

The strengths and weaknesses of five typical machine-scored test formats are discussed, specific recommendations for format selection are made, and reasons for the importance of format are examined. (MSE)

The Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) was mandated to meet the requirements of the 1974 amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It was hoped that TIERS would lead to a clear report of the effectiveness of Title I programs, based upon a synthesis of nationwide data. It has been extremely difficult to compare…

A void exists between the rapid growth of post-high school trade and technical education and the development of educational management tools for that area. Hoping to help fill this void, this research effort concentrated on the development of psychometric instruments useful in measuring achievements. Trade and technical areas involved in the study…

Research suggests that special tests of reasoning ability are superfluous. Reading comprehension and algebra scores on common aptitude and achievement tests are highly correlated with scores on several reasoning tests. Furthermore, three programs in reasoning skills have been shown to improve reading comprehension scores in various settings. (MCG)

Designed to help university and college faculty, academic administrators, and testing personnel select appropriate tests for college admission, this booklet provides a comparative description of the three biology examinations offered by the College Board. In separate sections, the following topics are covered: faculty improvement in test…

Designed to help university and college faculty, academic administrators, and testing personnel select appropriate tests for college admission, this booklet provides a comparative description of the three chemistry examinations offered by the College Board. In separate sections, the following topics are covered: faculty involvement in test…

Designed to help university and college faculty, academic administrators, and testing personnel select appropriate tests for college admission, this booklet provides a comparative description of the three physics examinations offered by the College Board. In separate sections, the following topics are covered: faculty involvement in test…

This guide contains descriptive and evaluative information on 47 major commercially-available English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) tests in current use around the world. For each test, the following information is provided: complete title; acronym; publication date; targeted audience; intended purpose; scoring method; administration type (group or…

In this discussion of the use of achievement tests in evaluating Title I programs, matching content between test and curriculum is the main theme. The point is made that unless a test measures what is taught, it cannot be sensitive to whatever gains the instruction produces. Thus, if different instructional treatments have different objectives, it…