Many test developers try to ensure the content validity of their tests by having external experts review the items, e.g. in terms of relevance, difficulty, or clarity. Although this approach is widely accepted, a closer look reveals several pitfalls need to be avoided if experts' advice is to be truly helpful. The purpose of this paper is to…

The purpose of this study is to analyze newspaper articles from three publications ("Chosun Ilbo," "Donga Ilbo," and "JoongAng Ilbo") regarding a newly developed high-stakes English test in South Korea, the National English Ability Test (NEAT), from the viewpoint of critical discourse analysis. All of the articles…

States are increasingly interested in including measures of student achievement growth, or "value- added," in evaluating teachers. Annual state assessments, however, which are the typical measure of student growth, usually cover only reading and math teachers and only in grades 4-8. These state assessments thus cannot …

Responding to a survey requires cognitive abilities similar to those for any other linguistic task. We argue that, when faced with a cognitively challenging task, individuals respond by simplifying the task, declining it, or performing it poorly. Using the 2003 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA 2003) data sets, we document that…

In the past twelve years (1997-2009), Brunei Darussalam has implemented three major educational policies: (1) inclusive education, in 1998; (2) the National Education System for the 21st Century known in Malay as Sistem Pendidikan Negara Abad 21 or SPN21, 2008; and (3) education for the gifted / talented students, 2009. These changes are partly…

The intention of this article is to illustrate how assessment is an "emotional practice" (Hargreaves, 1998) for teachers and how paying attention to the emotions involved can provide useful information about assessment practices to teachers, teacher-educators and policy-reformers. Through presenting a review of research literature it makes three…

Reviews important milestones in the history of reliability, current issues related to reliability, and likely prospects for reliability from the perspective of what constitutes a replication of a measurement procedure. Pays special attention to the fixed/random aspects of facets that characterize replications. (SLD)

Parents, educators, political leaders--all Americans need the information contained in this article. But why this poll? First, it's not just a quick snapshot of public perception. Rather, it is a serious research tool, conducted annually, that allows Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) members and other educators and policy makers to track public opinion from…

This review of the research on educational measurement and testing in New Zealand uses the institutional setting of the research as its framework. Following an historical overview dating back to the work of Norman McKenzie in 1927, sections of the review deal with research conducted by: (1) university staff; (2) university students; (3) Department…

Reviews research on whether students should change answers or let first answers stand on objective tests. Finds that the odds are over two to one that a student's score will be raised, rather than lowered, if he or she changes answers. Offers three suggestions for improving students' test-taking strategies. (SR)

This chapter outlines the concept of test anxiety and its impact on performance, manners in which to diagnose and provide accommodations for the disability, and many means by which to reduce the impact of test anxiety. Overall, it bears repeating that although the concept of test anxiety is relatively simple, understanding how it affects a given…

In the schools, the primary clients are the students. Other clients include parents, citizens, the community, and educators--all stakeholders in the processes and the products of schools. Professionals in administrative, instructional, and student services are committed to serving these internal and external clients by providing for offerings and…

The treatment of validity in the newest edition of "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" is quite different from coverage in earlier editions of the Standards and in most measurement textbooks. The view of validity in the 1999 Standards is discussed, and suggestions for instructors of measurement courses are offered. (Contains 56…

Whether to adopt national standards and tests has long been a subject of lively debate in the United States. With 47 states now participating in the Common Core State Standards Initiative, and a commitment from Education Secretary Arne Duncan to allocate hundreds of millions in stimulus funds to the development of common tests, the country is…

Reviews the new "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" (1985) (Standards), the latest in a series of five publications intended to inform professionals who use tests of the best available technical and ethical recommendations regarding testing practices and procedures. Describes the Standards, compares it with the 1984…