Although there exists an extensive amount of research on subscores and their properties, limited research has been conducted on categorical subscores and their interpretations. In this paper, we focus on the claim of Feinberg and von Davier that categorical subscores are useful for remediation and instructional purposes. We investigate this claim…

State summative educational assessment is about to begin in earnest. Rightfully, many are raising questions about the quality, meaning, and appropriate use of the assessment results. This document was written to support state educational agencies (SEAs) and their assessment providers in devising effective and efficient analysis plans. This…

Assessment is an integral part of any teaching learning process. Assessment has large number of functions to perform, whether it is formative or summative. This paper analyse the issues involved and the areas of concern in the classroom assessment practice and discusses the recent reforms take place. [This paper was published in Edutracks v20 n8…

This Brief contains a scan of the interim assessment landscape, and is focused on the availability of documentation supporting the appropriateness of these assessments for students with disabilities. The purpose of this Brief is to advise the development of guidance that facilitates improved practices related to the use of interim assessments for…

The measurement of higher-order competencies within a tertiary education system across countries presents methodological challenges due to differences in educational systems, socio-economic factors, and perceptions as to which constructs should be assessed (Blömeke, Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Kuhn, & Fege, 2013). According to Hart Research…

This handbook is designed as a quick reference for first-year teachers who find themselves in an assessment driven environment with little experience to help make sense of the language, underlying philosophy, or organizational structure of the assessment system. The handbook begins with advice on developing and evaluating effective learning…

The Woodcock Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (Revised) is reviewed in regard to its application with learning-disabled (LD) adults. Strengths of the revised test are identified as are concerns about the low representation of LD adults in the normative sample and the complex interpretation process. (DB)

Expectancy tables are discussed as a device for interpreting the meaning of test results for those untrained in statistics. Three ways of organizing an expectancy table are discussed: (1) to determine the probability that a student with a given test score will succeed in a specified course; (2) to find out how to pick the best applicants; and (3)…

In this interview, Leon Kamin, a prominent psychologist, rejects the theory that intelligence is transmitted by heredity. He deplores the practice of finding scientific data to support political policies, and he challenges that standardized tests-as they are now used-create social harm. (Editor/PG)

Discusses problems with the 1991 Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) in reading (given to six and seven year olds in England) and problems in the ways in which the results were interpreted. Suggests that SATs, designed to assess children's reading, may actually have obstructed teachers in their assessment of children. (RS)

In the United States, standardized educational tests have been used for assessment purposes in grades K through 12 almost since the inception of the testing movement in the early 1900s. Because test-based assessment can have wide-ranging positive or negative effects on K-12 students, the test user must ensure that the tests used for assessment…

Discusses the use of the Test of Written Language (3rd ed.) in assessing the writing ability of students with significant hearing losses. Reviews the test's format, administration, scoring, standardization and norming. Evaluates the test's reliability and validity as a screening tool for determining student strengths and weaknesses. (CR)

Inasmuch as blacks and other ethnic minorities have not been included in normative studies of most neuropsychological tests, the validity of these measures with these populations is questionable. The present study examined the suitability of selected neuropsychological test norms with 100 "normal" (Mean Wechsler Intelligence Scale for…

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…

Discusses (1) perspectives from which standardized test developers, users, and interpreters must consider test results; (2) test components that affect student test performance; (3) test abuses that contribute to the shortening of tests; and (4) how educators can effect a change in the increased reliance on standardized tests. (HTH)