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…

In this discussion of whether youth fitness tests should be evaluated with norm-referenced standards or criterion-referenced standards, it is pointed out the the suitability of the test depends upon the purpose for which the test is administered. A high level of physical fitness is linked with health, at least in adults, which suggests that…

Two types of test scores are often used for determining eligibility for early intervention services: standard scores and developmental-age scores. Because they are derived using different methods, these two types of scores do not provide equivalent information. Characteristics of norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests and the scores…

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 booklet provides parents, teachers, administrators, and policymakers with information about achievement testing which is relevant to their needs. The first section presents an overview of the current market for standardized achievement tests and provides key definitions, distinctions between ability and achievement testing, comparisons of…

In 1982-83, Riverside Unified School District (California) selected an achievement test to provide both norm- and criterion-referenced (dual objective) data for its achievement testing program. The test selection process was focused around eight evaluation aspects: prescreening of tests, content matching, instructional evaluation, processing…

Those who are charged with the evaluation of an educational program or school or effects of teaching often must consider how well students do on the variety of standardized tests they take in the course of a school year. This overview describes common types of tests students take in large-scale programs. Criterion-referenced tests are tests that…

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…

As part of its academic testing program, the Des Moines Public Schools administer standardized, norm-referenced achievement tests. The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) is a norm-referenced standardized test battery that is administered to students in grades 3, 4, 6, and 7. In the 1997-98 school year, over 415 (approximately 5%) of the students…

This module was developed to introduce users of norm-referenced tests (NRT) to procedures for conducting a survey of personal resources and a review of career goals and objectives, and to provide incentives and opportunities for test takers to find a personal meaning and value in the use of test results and assessment. The activities within the…

Each spring students in fifth, seventh and ninth grades in the San Diego City Schools complete a series of tests as part of the annual Districtwide Testing Program. The Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) are used to measure student knowledge of various broad areas of the curriculum. This bulletin presents results of student achievement in…

The ways in which achievement in a foreign language is assessed in German secondary schools are outlined and illustrated with examples from the testing of English. The overall organization of assessment procedures is described, the situations for forms 5-10 and 11-13 are differentiated, and the regulations governing conditions for the…

High stakes testing has been in place in North Carolina since the late 1970s with highly visible, nationally norm-referenced tests administered to all students in several grades, as well as minimum competency testing as part of high school graduation requirements. A current back-to-basics movement has resulted in cuts to the testing program. A new…

This summary report provides information about three of New Mexico's statewide assessments in 1997-1998. In spring 1998, the CTBS5/Terra Nova Survey Plus achievement test was administered to approximately 65,000 students in grades 4, 6, and 8 as part of the New Mexico Achievement Assessment Program. With three exceptions, the median national…

This "Profile" offers a snapshot of state assessment systems by describing some of their fundamental characteristics. Its focus is on what individual states are doing in terms of developing their own standards and assessments and how they report these results. Two pages of information are presented for each state (but not for the…