The intervention of the Federal Government, through the issuance of guidelines, into psychological testing for employment is one of the most controversial activities in our profession. Considers what the government has to offer and the effect of such guidelines on the field of psychological testing. (Author/RK)

Discusses steps taken to attain cultural relevance and appropriateness in the reading literacy construct, and in the stimulus materials and items that operationalize it. Explains the influence of multilingual considerations on the development of the reading literacy assessment instrument and notes psychometric procedures used to maximize the…

Outlines some practical procedures for assessing test quality. Tests are relevant when learning outcomes have been correctly defined, when test content is aligned with instructional objectives, and when test and instructional formats are similar. Reliable tests follow administration, scoring, and interpretation procedures and consider difficulty…

Examined the equivalence of two versions of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII) using four combinations of paper-and-pencil and computer administrations with college student subjects (N=75). Found slightly better test-retest reliability for the computer-based SCII. (Author/ABL)

Introduces a theoretical framework for mastery testing, using Item Response Theory and Bayesian Decision Theory. The idea of sequential testing is developed, with the goal of providing longer or shorter tests as needed, and a computerized application to a hypothetical professional knowledge examination is discussed. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study of 52 male inmates in Ontario (Canada) that was conducted to compare paper-and-pencil versus computer-based formats of the State-Trait Personality Inventory, the Anger Expression Scale, the Belief Scale, and the Vengeance Scale. The validity of assessments of incarcerated individuals regardless of administration modality is…

Tested Bugen's Coping with Death Scale. Individuals who had written wills, planned estates and funerals, and signed organ donor cards scored higher on the Coping with Death Scale. Because Coping with Death scores were more consistently different in those who prepared for death, this scale may help in efforts to predict those who will engage in…

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)

Responds to letters to the editor regarding comments on semantics, psychometrics, and assessment reform regarding authentic assessment of student academic achievements. Suggests that psychometric concerns need to be addressed. (MMU)

Examines the components required to assess student problem solving in technology environments. Discusses the purposes of testing, provides an example demonstrating the difference between retention and transfer, defines and analyzes problem solving, and explores techniques and standards for measuring the quality of student understanding. Contains…

Argues that a growing awareness of the fundamentally social character of language assessment challenges a rethinking of priorities and responsibilities in language testing research. This awareness is the result of the treatment of the social character of educational assessment in Messick's (1989) work on validity and by actual changes triggered by…

Government agencies administer exams to appraise educators' effectiveness. However, most teachers and administrators are unfamiliar with how such large-scale tests are put together or polished. A profession's adequacy is being judged on the basis of tools that the profession's members don't understand. As such, educators need to have a dose of…

Educational testing and its uses have come under increasing criticism as they are used more and more for decision making--to determine student tracking assignments, college admission, personnel selection, and licensing policies. The papers from this conference, which discussed the major issues in testing, include: (1) Testing: A Parent's Point of…

In Spring 2006,. the NAEP Validity Studies (NVS) Panel was asked by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to undertake a validity study to examine the quality of the NAEP Mathematics Assessments at grades 4 and 8. Specifically, NCES asked the NVS Panel to address five questions: (1) Does the NAEP framework offer reasonable content…

This policy paper outlines the impact that recent Title I legislation, which requires states to hold all students to the "same expectations," will have on state and local district evaluation plans, especially as regards students with disabilities. It notes the conflict between two educational goals: that of full inclusion of students…