The state of Massachusetts introduced a system of standardized testing in its public schools three years before the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 mandated such practices for all 50 states. Although the tests have evolved over time, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) has been in place ever since. After Massachusetts…

This article investigates gender inequity in the National Merit Scholarship Competition. Results suggest the competition favors males due to their higher mean score on the mathematics section and greater variability on all sections of the PSAT, which shares differential validity concerns with the SAT in terms of gender. These instruments are…

This primer should provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the concept of test validity and will present the recent available validity evidence on the relationship between SAT® scores and important college outcomes. In addition, the content examined on the SAT will be discussed as well as the fundamental attention paid to the fairness of…

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between student performance on Reading Curriculum-based Measures (R-CBM) and student performance on the Alaska's standards based assessment (SBA) administered to students in Studied School District (SSD) Grade 3 through Grade 5 students in the Studied School District as required by…

Student performance in basic math and reading skills in the United States trails behind other developed countries, providing the rationale for more research to determine how performance might be improved. Following evidence to conclude that multilingualism enhances cognitive, neuro-linguistic and meta-linguistic development, it is proposed that…

Reports preliminary findings of a study (in progress) on the statistical and content validity of eight reading achievement tests. (JM)

Three concurrent validity studies involving 88 regular and 56 learning disabled elementary students were conducted to determine the relationship between performances on formative measures of reading and standardized achievement measures of reading. The usefulness of the formative measures for continuous evaluation of student growth in reading is…

Reading and math achievement subtest scores on several standard achievement tests were compared for 233 students with mental retardation. Correlations were generally moderate among subtests purporting to measure similar constructs. Significant mean differences were present for five of seven reading test comparisons and for six of eight math…

The effects of students taking different levels of the same standardized achievement test were assessed by administering two levels of the same test to each student. The functional level of the test was taken by all students. The second level of testing was randomly assigned at the adjacent higher or lower level of the test. Functional level…

The first of eight related documents, this booklet is part of a series of papers presented at the 1978 National Right to Read Conference examining issues and problems in literacy. In its examination of standardized reading competency tests, the booklet first offers a definition of the kind of test it will consider and the criteria the test must…

The effect on students' scores of different item formats used in standardized reading achievement tests was investigated. Thirty-one bilingual Mexican-American second grade students were given a phonics test using four different formats derived from three standardized reading achievement tests. The formats sampled identical content. A two-way…

The edumetric adequacy of curriculum-based reading measures were examined for two basal reading programs. On the basis of reading aloud performance, 91 elementary students were assigned seven instructional placement scores within each basal series. Students also were measured on standardized reading achievement tests. Generally, correlations…

Concludes that standardized tests do not always reflect children's actual reading achievement and that the tests may not measure performance on the same types of material emphasized in basal series. (FL)

Reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (NDRT) and compares the use and misuse of the test as revealed through published surveys. Finds problems in the use of the NDRT to diagnose the specific reading needs and deficiencies of low-achieving students and to measure individual growth. (CBC)