Examines issues of curricular and instructional validity, criticism of diploma-sanctioned tests, teaching the test, and the role of the courts in new solutions. Contends diploma tests may ensure that students are given the opportunity to learn those skills essential to becoming a productive member of society. (209 references) (MLF)

Argues that test security in student testing is an immoral, inefficient practice rooted in medieval views of the teacher-student relationship. Secrecy practices involving testing should be scrutinized carefully and minimized through the use of explicit principles--an Assessment Bill of Rights--that put students' rights on par with the testmaker's…

Chapter 10 of a book on school law reviews court rulings on the use of tests and testing procedures for employment purposes. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 contains a section authorizing the use of any professionally developed ability test, provided that it is not designed, intended, or used to discriminate. The courts have held…

Traces the origins and development of the courts'"doctrine of subjective practices" in the evaluation of supervisory personnel, and discusses alternative remedies to the discriminatory use of subjective criteria in the selection and promotion of managerial employees. Available from Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, Harvard…

A decision upholding the constitutionality of Florida's competency exam is reviewed and school boards advised of measures for ensuring fairness and legality in competency testing: a curriculum that teaches the skills tested, adequate remedial instruction, and several chances to take the test. (MJL)

This document presents the transcript (and written statements) of a congressional hearing on the potential politicization of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the trustworthiness of the scores that the states received during the 1998 reading assessment. It addresses whether Vice President Al Gore's "release" of…

The attorney for the plaintiffs in Debra P. v. Turlington discusses the harmful effects and the arbitrary and unfair nature of minimum competency testing. (Author/WD)

Two approaches to setting standards for the professional performance of teachers are contrasted. One involves a coherent professional belief system in which an internal standard is invoked within a conceptual framework. It is exemplified by Sigel's Distancing Model, and involves a theoretical standard for teacher performance and emphasizes the…

Aspects of the new Employee Polygraph Protection Act are discussed, including exemptions, prohibited devices, limitations, exceptions, injury and access requirements, reasonable suspicion, drug industry investigations, procedural requirements, disclosure, basis for discharge, enforcement and remedies, and preemption and existing state laws. (MSE)

This court litigation reverses Farris and Black of Home School Legal Defense Association v. South Carolina State Board of Education, which found that the Education Entrance Examination (EEE) was properly validated for use in testing home school instructors as regulated by S. C. Code Ann. Section 59-65-40(A)(1)(a)(1990), the home schooling statute…

Truth in testing, competency testing, and intelligence tests constitute the central topics of this newsletter. The authors review a report prepared by the Education Commission of the States on truth-in-testing legislation and litigation, covering recent efforts at the state and federal levels to open the testing process to public scrutiny. They…

Advises principals about their responsibilities concerning the educational assessment of handicapped students. Discusses the scope of assessment, test validity and reliability, commonly used tests, assessment issues, and specific actions principals can take. (Author/WD)

An important and widely noticed trend among health professions and occupations in the 1970s has been the increasingly widespread use of credentialing mechanisms. These mechanisms are intended to ensure that health services are provided adequately and with at least a minimum degree of competence. This report is intended to enhance and broaden…

With the intent of spurring discussion and raising important issues about the topic of test standards, this circular serves primarily as a resource document for member organizations of the National Consortium on Testing (NCT). Additionally, it identifies the broad changes which have evolved since 1953 regarding ethical and technical standards for…

Discusses two cases in which Black schoolchildren challenged the validity and cultural fairness of standardized, individually administered intelligence tests; Larry P. versus Riles and PASE versus Hannon. Describes the diametrically opposed outcomes of the decisions, highlights important similarities, and critically analyzes each court's reasoning…