The use of assessment results to inform school accountability relies on the assumption that the test design appropriately represents the content and cognitive emphasis reflected in the state's standards. Since the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act and the certification of accountability assessments through federal peer review practices,…

There are sound educational and examining reasons for the use of coursework assessment and practical assessment of student work by teachers in schools for purposes of reporting examination grades. Coursework and practical work test a range of different curriculum goals to final papers and increase the validity and reliability of the result.…

This guide is designed to assist States, agencies, and/or facilities who work with youth who are neglected, delinquent, or at-risk (N or D). The information in the guide will benefit those who are (a) interested in implementing pre-posttests, (b) in the process of identifying an appropriate pre-posttest, or (c) ready to evaluate current testing…

Developed jointly by the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education, "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" (Revised 2014) addresses professional and technical issues of test development and use in education, psychology, and…

Educational assessment and, more broadly, educational research in the United States have entered into an era characterized by a dramatic increase in the prevalence and importance of test score use in accountability systems. This volume covers a selection of contemporary issues about testing science and practice that impact the nation's public…

For several decades there has been a loud outcry from the early childhood education community that assessment, especially standardized assessment, is inappropriate during the early years. As we move through the first decade of the twenty-first century, there is a new public outcry for standards and accountability--even for preschool programs.…

Five papers given at a conference on the role of testing in the teaching profession are presented. The conference partners included the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Educational Testing Service, Center for Fair and Open Testing, and National Education Association. The following issues are discussed: appropriate uses of…

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to review appropriate assessment techniques in prekindergarten through grade 3 settings and to serve as a catalyst for further discussion and work on the topic of developmentally appropriate accountability assessment. The discussion is based on the thesis that developmentally appropriate assessment and…

Critical issues addressed in the literature with regard to teacher evaluation, appraisal instruments, and their use are reviewed. The focus of the study is to provide ideas and suggestions on improving the evaluation process, something best achieved by matching the appropriate instrument with that which it purports to measure. (SLD)

As education policymakers have moved to reform K-12 public education, the roles of test publishers in assessment have expanded. In the last two decades these expanded roles have coincided with the movement of assessment to the center of education reform initiatives. The drive for improvement in public education has made the roles of test…

The steady growth of state testing programs and its implications for the measurement community are discussed in terms of testing purposes (monitoring, accountability, and curriculum advancement) and test development, administration, and reporting. It is important that the measurement community address crucial issues to maintain its substantial…

This booklet is an explanation of what the Alaska High School Graduation Qualifying Examination means to Alaskans and how it fits into a larger school accountability reform initiative. The high school class of 2002 is the first group of students who will need to pass the High School Graduation Qualifying Examination to receive a high school…

Penetrates polarized rhetoric to examine four currently debated questions about high-stakes testing. Reframes certain questions: How can we provide instruction enabling students to score well on such tests without narrowing the curriculum? How can we restructure schools to help all children reach high standards? How can assessments be made more…

This bulletin has three purposes: (1) to discuss the variety of factors which should be considered in the development of a local testing program, providing a basic understanding of what is necessary to implement and maintain a testing program; (2) to suggest several of the significant elements related to the development and maintenance of a…

Stresses the importance of devising accurate methods of evaluation rather than teaching material only because it can be easily evaluated. (DF)