The purpose of this article is to provide readers with an overview of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM). Special education is often used for meeting the needs of African American children and youth. Assessment reform is needed that emphasizes reliable and valid alternative assessment, linkages to the curriculum, and progress monitoring. CBM may…

The place of testing in education is discussed. It is concluded that tests should be used as the supplements they are intended to be, and they should be used after thorough examination of their suitability has been made by test and education experts. (Author)

Abolishing standards underlying teacher competency testing to reverse bias against minorities actually results in lowered expectations and excuses poor performance. Rather, we should advocate educational progress for Black children at all educational levels. Better preparation of current students will eventually result in an improved and larger…

Posits that perceptions of past experience and expectations of the outcomes of future experience can have important consequences for determining young people's educational, career, and life experiences. The lecturer also examines high-stakes test performance and test use as a function of several factors, and traces the history of research on…

In an investigation of racial differences on an "intelligence" test containing items specific to the Black environment, black subjects had a higher mean score than white subjects and there was no positive correlation between the Black Intelligence Test and the Shipley Institute of Living Scale, a traditional intelligence test. Thus, racial…

The belief that large segments of the population cannot learn what others learn, or do so much less rapidly, is predominant in our educational system. For schools to educate all children effectively, changes must occur in school ideology, structure, and instructional practices. (GC)

Argues that Herrnstein and Murray's "The Bell Curve" (1994) merely restates the notion that intelligence can be reduced to a single ordinal measure, i.e., the primary factor for determining group or individual social-class status. Evidence from the biological sciences and quantitative genetics is presented that reveals that social…

Profound problems in public schools require solutions that are often difficult to implement. Although we, as a society, see the future embodied in the students, our promise to educate them is often not reflected in our practices. A lack of will is evident. The following article explores the notion of "schools at work" and provides…

This article presents an alternative mode of assessing minority children's strengths and weaknesses by utilizing a conceptual framework referred to as Cognitive Style, that is, the processes a child uses to learn. The process of "mapping" a student's learning style provides both a diagnostic tool and a basis for prescription writing.…

Currently used standardized measures for testing competency do not predict classroom performance. Unique qualities that ethnic minorities bring to classrooms, such as language and cultural knowledge, should be viewed as assets. More realistic criteria are necessary in order to solve the shortage of minority teachers. (Author/GC)

Standardized tests have been used to deny Blacks and other non-Whites access to higher education and employment. The tests do not measure intelligence or innate ability but rather vocabulary, philosophical concepts, and literary devices. Black scholars must lead in developing a system to help Black students overcome these cultural biases. (KH)

A significant number of Black graduate students enrolled at the University of Florida in 1982 had higher grades than White students who had performed better than they on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). This suggests that the GRE is insensitive to the factors that affect Blacks' academic performance. (KH)

Critics charge that the use of standardized examinations for initial teacher certification fails to measure teacher competency accurately and results in high failure rates for minorities. Compares minority bias review panels in Illinois and Pennsylvania, and finds greater minority involvement and attention to minority culture in Illinois' test…

Presents analyses that highlight how racial context influences the SAT's ability to predict black students' collegiate success. SAT items are shown to denigrate the black experience and demonstrate a bias toward science. The test's predictive validity is shown to depend on college racial environment, adjustment issues, gender, and black identity…

Urges that the impact of race on achievement motivation be reinvestigated, especially the tendency for ethnocentric beliefs in this area to lead to a culture-specific definition. Reviews the literature on comparative studies of Black and White motivation and suggests new research directions. (RDN)