Purpose: Against a backdrop of high-stakes assessment policies in the USA, this paper explores the challenges, promises and the "state of the art" with regard to designing standardized achievement tests and educational assessment systems that are instructionally useful. Authors deliberate on the consequences of using inappropriately…

With the increasing amount of testing taking place in classrooms, teachers may question how appropriate those assessments are for the growing numbers of English language learners (ELLs) in the United States. One of the assessment options for classroom teachers is the informal reading inventory (IRI), which is the most frequently used assessment…

Just like all the high-stakes tests that determine students' futures nowadays, The Chorizo Test is a standardized test rooted in the culture of the test makers. It was originally created to be used with students in teacher training programs to sensitize them to the pitfalls inherent in standardized pencil-and-paper tests, such as linguistic bias…

In this study we use data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey third- and fifth-grade samples to investigate teacher judgments of student achievement, the extent to which they offer a similar picture of student mathematics achievement compared to standardized test scores, and whether classroom assessment practices moderate the relationship…

IF IT IS RECOGNIZED THAT THE SOLE JUSTIFICATION IN GIVING A TEST IS TO OBTAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHILD, FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE CHILD'S PERFORMANCE ON THE TEST MUST BE CONSIDERED IN THE INTERPRETATION OF TEST RESULTS. A SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT, HIS BACKGROUND, HIS PERCEPTION OF THE TEST SITUATION, AND THE…

"Classroom Assessment in Action" clarifies the multi-faceted roles of measurement and assessment and their applications in a classroom setting. Comprehensive in scope, Shermis and Di Vesta explain basic measurement concepts and show students how to interpret the results of standardized tests. From these basic concepts, the authors then…

Responding to critics of testing, the author presents an argument in its favor--that testing is one of the ways in which a teacher may gather information necessary for student monitoring and instructional decision-making. (SJL)

This article argues that the validity of standardized achievement test-score interpretation and use is problematic; consequently, confidence and trust in such test scores may often be unwarranted. The problem is particularly severe in high-stakes situations. This essay provides a context for understanding standardized achievement testing, then…

The aim of this paper was to develop a simplification of Sattler's technique (in the form of a table) to make it easier to use and to apply to the Binet profile of any child tested. An illustration is included. (Author)

An investigation into classroom teachers' (N=51) reaction to test score reporting formats suggested that teachers more readily recommended children for special education classes when they evaluated percentile ranks than when they evaluated grade equivalents or standard scores. (Author/CB)

Analyzes the uses that can be made from test data and the influences such data can have on communication with communities, in the evaluation of school's effectiveness, and student's placement. (Author/RK)

A standardized test format is used to present a criticism of present testing practices. (JH)

An examination of how teachers interpret standardized test scores reveals that in using the score the teacher embeds it in the subjective kinds of knowledge the test scores are supposed to replace. (Author/DE)

Because testing and the use of test results are controversial subjects, parents and advocates must exercise considerable care when working to assure that tests are appropriately used in public elementary and secondary schools. One should guard against making assumptions which may have been created by widely publicized reports about test abuse.…

Most problems with tests have to do with their use, misuse, or lack of use. Test scores can be of value to teachers who know how and how not to use them. The purpose of this booklet is to provide a brief overview of standardized testing and to explain some of the commonly used terminology. Topics discussed include: teacher-made and standardized…