This test review focuses on the current version (2009) of [Chinese characters omitted] (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi), literally translated as the Chinese Language Proficiency Test and abbreviated as HSK. Tailored to non-native speakers of the Chinese language, this test consists of six proficiency levels (Levels 1 and 2 as beginners, Levels 3 and 4 as…

The number of public school students who are English learners (ELs) has been increasing steadily in the United States. According to a report by Snyder, de Brey, and Dillow (2016), in the 2014-2015 school year, nearly 4.6 million students enrolled in Kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) in U.S. schools were English learners, representing…

The goal of this paper was to critically review and evaluate five common social-emotional and behavioral screeners: Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (Kamphaus and Reynolds 2007), Behavior Intervention Monitoring Assessment System (McDougal et al. 2011), Social Skills Improvement System Performance Screening Guide (Elliott and Gresham…

While psychological tests are used extensively in Israel, the current controls over testing practices in Israel deserve some attention. Specifically, unlike in some European countries and the United States, (a) no specific certifications are offered to Israeli psychologists in the area of testing; (b) Israeli psychologists are not obligated to…

The proper use of psychological tests requires that the measurement instruments have adequate psychometric properties, such as reliability and validity, and that the professionals who use the instruments have the necessary expertise. In this article, we present the first review of tests published in Spain, carried out with an assessment model…

The "Versant Spanish[TM] Test" applies state-of-the-art technology to language assessment in a quick and efficient tool designed for the purpose of "assessing an individual's ability to speak and understand spoken Spanish". According to the developers, the Pearson Education Group, the test is equally useful in academic as well as professional…

The Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities (ABLA) test requires a tester to attempt to teach to a person, using standard prompting and reinforcement procedures, six tasks that are hierarchically ordered in difficulty. Performance on the test provides valuable information for teachers and rehabilitation workers to match the difficulty of training…

A framework for integrating the many conceptions of criterion-referenced testing is provided, which illustrates that there is no single type of test that can be identified as the prototype criterion-referenced test. The use of one kind of criterion-referenced test may not be applicable to another. (Author/RL)

The authors describe sources of information about tests. They note the existence of test publishers' manuals, Mental Measurement Yearbooks (including online updates), Tests in Print, and computerized databases of the Educational Resources Information Center and the Educational Testing Service. An annotated list of compendia of instruments and…

Each potential user must take the final responsibility for deciding whether a test can deliver what it promises in the situation in which it is to be used. A review procedure involves reading and evaluating research, studying technical manuals, taking the test, and communicating with others involved with the test. (Author/CM)

Reviews Family Health Scale, instrument developed to assess a family's level of overall functioning based upon clinical observation of family interaction. Describes six dimensions of scale: affective status, communication, boundaries, adaptability and stability, alliances, and family competence. Reviews studies which have used Family Health Scale.…

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children's (K-ABC) systematic effort to achieve fairness for minorities and exceptional children in the assessment process is appealing, but potential for abuse is real. As the K-ABC has reduced the black/white IQ discrepancy, it should have a positive and stimulating effect on this persistent issue in…

Two kinds of WISC-R short forms, item reduction and subtest reduction, are reviewed in terms of their ability to meet these criteria of adequacy: a significant correlation between the full scale IQ and the short form IQ, a non-significant difference between the full and short form mean IQ, a low percentage of IQ classification changes resulting…

This review, with profiles of 51 available writing/language usage tests from most major test publishing companies, provides technical information on the tests, the evolution of test characteristics, the tests' role as writing samples, and issues in psychometric quality. Published objective writing tests are changing in important and positive ways.…

Part of a series, this document reports on a study to determine the current status of instrumentation and practices of student assessment in programs concerned with the transition of secondary special education students from school to work or to postsecondary education. The study surveyed the 114 federally funded (Office of Special Education and…