The use of standardized testing in secondary schools (with students between 10 and 19 years old) is described for four European countries: (1) England; (2) West Germany; (3) the Netherlands; and (4) Sweden. In the decentralized English system, several published standardized tests are available; they are used less at the secondary level than in…

This survey investigated: (1) the extent that psychometric criteria are used in test selection; (2) the weight given to different types of psychometric information relative to other qualities of the test; and (3) possible reasons for differences among districts. Directors of testing offices, including members of the National Association of Test…

To compile information on state and school district standardized testing programs, a survey instrument was designed and sent to 135 members of the National Association of Test Directors (NATD). Seventy responses (52%) were received in time to be included in the compilation. Most participating school districts (n=61, 87%) had a program mandated by…

Due to a concern regarding the validity of Chicago public elementary schools standardized test scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, a test audit was conducted. The audit was limited to 40 schools. Two schools were selected from each of the 20 administrative districts, with each school testing one seventh- and one eighth-grade class. These…

The American College Testing (ACT) Assessment Program is reviewed in this four-part report in terms of its use at North Harris County College (NHCC). Part I briefly reviews the contents of the four ACT tests: English Usage, Mathematics Usage, Social Studies Reading, and Natural Science Reading. It goes on to discuss the stability, limitations, and…

This special issue of "Catalyst", entitled Testing Programs in Schools: What's New?, was published jointly by the Nebraska Council of School Administrators and the Nebraska Association for Supervision and Curriculum. The articles emphasize desirability of designing testing programs to meet the information needs of educators and the…

How standardized achievement and mental ability tests are used in the schools, and what parents and teachers think about such testing, were investigated. Guided inventories were administered to 207 teachers from 10 schools and to 223 parents from 12 Parent-Teacher Association groups. Intensive individual interviews were conducted with 15 testing…

Basically, test directors have four systemwide and building level responsibilities: (1) planning, administration and evaluation of standardized testing programs; (2) application of measurement and evaluation to school problems; (3) classroom testing and evaluation; and (4) external testing programs. In a series of brief memos, measurement and…

This pamphlet outlines an attempt to provide an instrument by which the linguistic background of Welsh children can be measured. In a group of Welsh-speaking children there are different degrees of Welshness, and it is essential, for educational purposes, that the degrees of Welsh linguistic background be estimated. The two versions of the Welsh…

Under the California Assembly Bill 665 of 1972, the state assessment program must test all students in grades 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 in reading skills, and those in grades 6 and 12 to assess their skills in effectiveness of written expression, spelling, and mathematics. The state may develop its own tests, and a matrix sampling approach may be used…

The Anchor Test Study is described as to objectives, the need for the study, tests selected for the study, States' participation, renumeration of School Test Coordinator, teacher participation, schedule of activities, reports of test results, pupil personnel data needed, and the tests administered during the restandardization phase and equating…

The College-Level Academic Skill Test (CLAST) is part of Florida's system of educational accountability. It is an achievement test that measures students' attainment of the college-level communication and mathematics skills that were identified by faculties of community colleges and state universities. Students in community colleges and state…

Implications of using alternative assessments for accountability in a high-stakes testing environment (using tests to make impact decisions for students, schools, or teachers) are examined. The psychometric properties of standardized alternative assessments are discussed, and the consequences of their use are considered. (SLD)

Compared results on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills to Texas (TAAS) score changes on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Texas fourth graders did improve significantly more on the NAEP mathematics test than their counterparts nationally, but this gain was smaller than their TAAS gains, and a similar gain was not seen…

As part of its academic testing program, the Des Moines Public Schools administer standardized, norm-referenced achievement tests. The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) is a norm-referenced standardized test battery that is administered to students in grades 3, 4, 6, and 7. In the 1997-98 school year, over 415 (approximately 5%) of the students…