The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has a partnership with NWEA for the development of the 2024 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Tests. Teachers from across the State work with NYSED in a variety of activities to ensure the validity and reliability of the New York State Testing Program (NYSTP). The 2024 Grades 6 and 7 English Language…

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted education across the globe leading countries to adapt how they administer and manage high-stakes examinations and large-scale learning assessments. This thematic review describes the measures that countries have taken, in terms of policies and practices, when learning assessments are disrupted by emergencies and…

Data driven decision making emphasizes the importance of the teacher using objective sources of information in developing the social studies curriculum. Too frequently, decisions of teachers have been made based on routine and outdated methods of teaching. Valid and reliable tests used to secure results from pupil learning make for better…

The proposition that the optimal number of options in a multiple choice test item is three was examined. The concept of functional distractor, a plausible wrong answer that is negatively discriminating when total test performance is the criterion, is discussed. Three distinct groups of achievers (high, middle, and low) on a national standardized…

Starting from the premise that the assessment of second language learners' competence is a must at several points during the learning process, discusses the usefulness of laboratory testing. Argues that it allows for standardized testing, facility of test administration, easy scoring, objective measures, reliability and validity of results. (MES)

Steps are outlined in the construction of two self-report assessment scales designed to measure general life satisfaction and leisure activity levels of developmentally disabled adults. The potential usefulness of a reliable, valid self-report instrument as a measurement tool in client programming is noted in the context of a review of similar…

The process proposed for the development and use of computer-based testing, including simulation and multiple-choice questions, as part of the National Board of Medical Examiners' certification sequence is outlined. Summary reports of first-phase pilot testing in six medical schools are appended. (MSE)

This article describes the second edition of the Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale (ADDES II), an individually administered behavior rating scale developed to assist in the identification and service of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. Its purpose, administration, interpretation of scores, standardization,…

Problems in the testing of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) are examined, focusing on proficiency testing needs and test standardization. Particular attention is paid to listening and reading assessment. The first part of the discussion looks at specific problems with five existing proficiency tests, including such aspects as inadequacy of the…

This article describes the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, an assessment instrument designed to assess the phonological processing skills of individuals between the ages of 5 and 24.11 years and to identify those with phonological processing difficulties. Its administration, standardization, reliability, and validity are discussed.…

This article reviews the revised KeyMath Revised-Normative Update American and Canadian editions, and a draft version of the 1999 pending revision. The assessment instrument is intended to test basic mathematical concepts, operations, and applications of students in grades K-12. Its administration, standardization, reliability, and validity are…

A study of possible test bias in the Arabic and Hebrew versions of a standardized scholastic aptitude test used in Israel found a slight overprediction of performance for Arabs, but the findings appear to be more consistent with psychometric than cultural bias. (Author/MSE)

This article describes the Behavior Assessment System for Children, a multimethod, multidimensional approach to evaluating the behaviors and self-perceptions of children ages 2.6 to 18 years. The BASC contains a Teacher Rating Scale, a Parent Rating Scale, and a Child Self-Report of Personality. Its administration, reliability, and validity are…

This article describes the Comprehensive Assessment of Reading Strategies, a six-level diagnostic series for evaluating mastery of 12 reading strategies at each level by students in grades 3 through 8, as well as allowing for their metacognitive self-assessment. Its administration, standardization; reliability, and validity are discussed.…

This article describes the Comprehensive Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, an assessment designed to evaluate the intellectual ability of students ages 6 to 18.11 years for whom other mental ability tests are inappropriate or to enable comparisons between verbal and nonverbal intellectual ability. Its administration, standardization, reliability,…