Considering consequences in the evaluation of validity is not new although it is still debated by Paul E. Newton and others. The argument-based approach to validity entails an interpretative argument that explicitly identifies the proposed interpretations and uses of test scores and a validity argument that provides a structure for evaluating the…

The seven articles of this issue examine the implications of the proposed use of a variety of new assessments for students and parents, schools and school personnel, the educational system, and society in general. They clarify the dilemmas that challenge educational assessment and the relationship of assessment to educational reform. (SLD)