A critically important balance in educational measurement between practical concerns and matters of technique has atrophied in recent decades, and as a result, some important issues in the field have not been adequately addressed. I start with the work of E. F. Lindquist, who exemplified the balance that is now wanting. Lindquist was arguably the…

Language testing has witnessed three major trends in the 1990s: theoretical, methodological, and analytical. Theoretically, emphasis has been placed on the further understanding of the construct of language proficiency. Methodologically, there has been an outburst of interest in language performance testing and the promotion of the professional…

Maul's paper, "Rethinking Traditional Methods of Survey Validation," is a clever and pointed indictment of a set of specific but widespread practices in psychological measurement and the social sciences at large. Through it, Maul highlights central issues in the way to approach theory building and theory testing, bringing to mind the…

New Meridian Corporation has developed the "Quality Testing Standards and Criteria for Comparability Claims" (QTS) to provide guidance to states that are interested in including New Meridian content and would like to either keep reporting scores on the New Meridian Scale or use the New Meridian performance levels; that is, the state…

This technical report provides detailed information regarding the technical, statistical, and measurement attributes of the New York State Testing Program (NYSTP) for the Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics 2018 Operational Tests. This report includes information about test content and test development, item (i.e., individual…

This technical report provides detailed information regarding the technical, statistical, and measurement attributes of the New York State Testing Program (NYSTP) for the Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics 2017 Operational Tests. This report includes information about test content and test development, item (i.e., individual…

English language testing has been developing with great momentum in China in the past two decades. However, little research is existent as to how these English tests are developed, administered, and used. This study reported a survey of English language testing practice in the Chinese context through empirically examining the testing practice of…

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…

Should individuals use a test for purposes other than those for which it was originally intended? Should they give it to groups of people other than those for whom it was originally designed? This issue of "Educational Testing Service (ETS) R&D Connections" provides ideas for repurposing tests. (Contains 1 footnote.)

Ethics codes are designed to protect the public by prescribing behaviors professionals are expected to exhibit. Although test use is universal, albeit reflecting strong Western influences, previous studies that examine the degree issues pertaining to test development and use and that are addressed in ethics codes of national psychological…

The International Test Commission's (this issue) Guidelines on Computer-Based and Internet-Delivered Testing constitute a comprehensive and excellent set of internationally agreed guidelines. This article looks forward and discusses what should be done to ensure that these guidelines will be used in educational, clinical, and organizational…

Within the context of standards-based educational systems, states are using large scale reading assessments to help ensure that all children have the opportunity to learn essential knowledge and skills. The challenge for developers of accessible reading assessments is to develop assessments that measure only those student characteristics that are…

Psychological testing has played a major role in the American Psychological Association (APA) because testing and assessment are important aspects of what psychologists do; tests assist psychologists in diagnosis and treatment. From its earliest years, APA has had one or more committees concerned with testing. The present Committee on…

The Joint Committee on Testing Practices has completed the "Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education," which is meant for the public and focuses on the proper use of tests in education--admissions, educational assessment and diagnosis, and student placement. The Code separately addresses test developers' and users' roles. (SLD)

Highlights some of the psychometric results reported by National Evaluation Systems in their study of the Massachusetts Educator Certification Test and identifies characteristics of this test that are inconsistent with the "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing." Comments also on an Alabama class action lawsuit dealing with…