In response to Ebel's article (TM 508 146) the author points out that, in emphasizing what a test is intended to measure, the vital question of what should be measured is set aside. While explicit specifications for a test should be encouraged, questions of worth ought to be prominent in designing and selecting tests. (Author/LC)

The publisher's perspective of testing and the curriculum can be described in terms of the criteria for selecting norm-referenced standardized achievement tests: (1) market need--what the customer needs and wants; (2) product match--whether the product neets the need; (3) distribution--whether or not the product can be sold; and (4) end user…

Developmental psychologists have not traditionally documented the psychometric properties of their observational instruments, partly because such concepts as reliability and validity are associated mainly with paper-and-pencil tests. A multitrait-multimethod correlation matrix (MTMM) was presented as a useful method for the psychometric evaluation…

The materials presented were developed for use in a series of conferences on testing and instruction sponsored by the National Institute of Education, with the United States Office of Education, the UCLA Center for the Study of Evaluation, and a network of research and development agencies. They are intended for use by school practitioners and…

A classical model for achievement test development was influenced by: the educational tradition of selecting a sample of questions appropriate to a subject and counting the proportion of acceptable responses; the emphasis on obtaining a large and homogeneous sample of questions to insure reliability; and the tradition in psychological testing of…

In this discussion of the use of achievement tests in evaluating Title I programs, matching content between test and curriculum is the main theme. The point is made that unless a test measures what is taught, it cannot be sensitive to whatever gains the instruction produces. Thus, if different instructional treatments have different objectives, it…