A national test can be designed for everyone--students, workers, etc.--that would measure their achievement in mathematics and other subjects and provide a score, normed at various levels from preschool to graduate school. The Internet and computer technology would enable both widespread administration of the test and access to scores that can be…

Beginning discussions and exploratory work on criterion-referenced measurement are reviewed in this commentary on the author's 1963 address to the American Educational Research Association on issues of measurement and the development of educational technology. Many problems foreseen at that time remain current. (SLD)

The term "criterion-referenced measurement" has been so frequently used that accumulated surplus meaning has sometimes swamped the fundamental concept. Stripping away extraneous interpretations affirms the contemporary relevance of the concept. Substituting the term "construct-referenced" underscores the need for better…

The rise of criterion-referenced measurement from 1970 to 1984 was an important period in test development. Since 1984 there has been less research published on criterion-referenced measurement, but there is ample evidence that the concept remains important, especially in the authentic measurement and performance assessment movements. (SLD)

A basic understanding of criterion-referenced test (CRT) use and development is presented with definitions and characteristics of CRTs. The steps necessary to construct and validate a CRT, the appropriate use of CRTs, the historical development of CRTs, and terms used in conjunction with CRTs are discussed. The most common definition of a CRT is a…

This publication provides a general description, in question-and-answer format, of the 1999 Utah Statewide Testing Program. Under this program, norm-referenced achievement tests are administered to Utah students in grades 5, 8, and 11 under a legislative mandate. The newest edition of the Stanford Achievement Tests, the Stanford 9, was chosen as…

This book is designed to help K-12 teachers and administrators understand the nature of standardized tests and, in particular, the scores that result from them. This useful manual helps teachers develop the skills necessary to incorporate these test scores into various types of instructional decision making--a process known as "data-driven…

The first edition of this book was written to give information about testing to people whose work gave them access to test results, but whose training included little or nothing about the use and interpretation of tests. Later editions have been intended for a broader audience as the need for understanding what test scores really mean has…

Psychometrically linking a state criterion-referenced test (CRT) and a norm-referenced test (NRT) to yield NRT information through the CRT was studied with samples of 1,500 to 3,000 elementary school students per subject and grade level in Connecticut. A CRT/NRT link can create a focused and coherent assessment system. (SLD)

Most educational measurement texts distinguish between norm-referenced (NR), or relative, methods of assigning letter grades to objective test scores, and criterion-referenced (CR), or absolute, methods. Both NR and CR approaches have serious limitations in typical classroom situations, and neither approach, in its pure form, may be entirely…

Norm-referenced tests (NRT) help compare the performance of one student with the performances of a large group of students, while criterion-referenced tests (CRT) focus on "what test takers can do and what they know, not how they compare to others" (Anastasi, 1988). Both types of test can be standardized so that scores can be interpreted the same…

An emerging issue in teacher education is the essential knowledge that is a prerequisite to successful pedagogical and subject matter instruction. Skills in communication, both oral and written, and computation are critical areas which must be sufficient for further instruction. This paper addresses the issues of responsibility for developing and…

This book is meant to be a guide to standardized reading tests, to help teachers live with tests. Standardized, norm-referenced reading tests are a fact of life for most teachers. The suggestions in this book are drawn form the experience of teachers in the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Teachers College, Columbia University. Part…

The question of how standardized tests can be better developed to improve educational program evaluation is probed in this paper. After the first section's brief introduction, section 2 explores the thesis that tests developed in terms of selection and inference may not serve current social functions of educational testing. To clarify this thesis,…

Four main approaches to customized testing are described, and their resulting scores' valid uses and interpretations are discussed. Customized testing can yield valid normative and curriculum-specific information, although cautious application is needed to avoid misleading inferences about student achievement. (SLD)