This paper considers three areas related to the testing of minimum knowledge and skills: public policy, the nature of higher-order thinking and selected aspects of educational measurement. The discussion of public policy issues centers around an apparent dichotomy of egalitarianism and elitism in public education, schooling and the public economy,…

Three aspects of student assessment are addressed in this collection of essays: accountability issues and the political tensions that they reflect; assessment practices, the use and misuse of testing, and emerging directions; and the impact of assessment. The collection includes: (1) "Expansion, Quality, and Testing in American…

There is currently a conflict between educational accountability and the distrust of standardized testing. Concern for the quality of education is based on evidence of students' academic dificiencies, the decline in test scores, and increasing education costs and school taxes. As a result of criticism, states have mandated, or are considering,…

Standardized achievement tests are often misused as indicators of a school's quality or effectiveness relative to other schools. This is an incorrect use because it ignores variation among schools in student abilities, family support of education, student mobility, and other factors. People also misuse tests because they impute to them more…

This theme issue focuses on the use and consequences of high stakes tests. The lead article, "High-Stakes Testing: Too Much? Too Soon?" by Sherry Freeland Walker, introduces the topic and related issues, outlining the pros and cons of high stakes testing by the states. The problem, some experts say, is that states have tried to do too much too…

There are four steps in obtaining test data, each requiring planning and decision-making: assembling students, administering tests, scoring, and recording scores. In assembling students, two cautions are in order. First, for norm referenced tests, students in the treatment group should take the test at the same time of the year as the students in…

In response to new provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), this issue describes the promising special education research that is helping all students participate successfully in large-scale testing programs. The first article, "State-Wide Assessment Programs," discusses the new provisions in IDEA that…

The FairTest Examiner is a quarterly newsletter that discusses the appropriate use of tests and test results. Many of the features address recent events in the field of educational testing reform. The bulletin's regular features include: current news items, a list of recommended reading material, a listing of FairTest personnel, announcements of…

The Gittinger Assessment Center (GAC) at Hocking Technical College is a psychological service unit whose thrust is to provide educational testing, individual counseling, and tutorial assistance to enhance the learning process. Students' academic, personal, and social needs are identified through an individualized assessment process, which serves…

Standards-based reform activity dominated K-12 education during the 1990s, reflecting a consensus that improving learning requires state-level curricular standards and examinations. Opponents argue state-imposed standards and tests overly burden districts, degrade teaching and learning, suffer from numerous technical problems, and have failed to…

This conference was organized around four policy concerns: (1) the needs of handicapped, gifted, and bilingual students; (2) the use of test results to allocate federal compensatory education funds; (3) the validity of minimum competency testing; and (4) the demand for increasingly sophisticated evaluations. Garry L. McDaniels discussed the…

This brief monograph, intended for preschool teachers and administrators, explains various aspects of the assessment and evaluation of children and early childhood education programs. The value of evaluation procedures for program development is noted. The different forms that research designs and tests can take are explained. It is emphasized…

The nature and common uses of standardized achievement tests are described and placed in context in order to evaluate claims and criticisms that are commonly made. Tests are described as samples of behavior and hence subject to sampling errors. Much of the debate is dominated by emotion and prejudices. There is very little empirical evidence about…

In 1990, a study was conducted to compare the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) passing rates of St. Petersburg Junior College (SPJC) students with those of other Florida community college students and students from state universities. The SPJC samples consisted of 756 students who took the CLAST for the first time in October 1989 and…

These four serial issues examine the effectiveness and appropriateness of a variety of assessment tests as well as their relationship to developmental education. Included are reviews of the following tests: (1) the Comparative Guidance and Placement Program, a self-scoring test of English and mathematics; (2) the Stanford Achievement Test, an…