Sources of current misuse of standardized tests in assessing the quality of home-based educational programs are identified. Development of new instruments and cooperation of concerned groups are suggested as a means of increasing educational alternatives, excellence, and accountability. (Author/TJH)

Compared Stanford-Binet (Fourth Edition) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised as instruments for assessing the intellectual strengths and weaknesses of students (N=35) classified as learning disabled in elementary and secondary grades. Results suggest the tests will yield similar intelligence quotients for the learning disabled…

Describes four criteria that can be used to evaluate methods of assessment: (1) "What are the consequences of using the test?" (2) "Is this assessment fair?" (3) "Do the skills and knowledge of this assessment transfer or generalize?" and (4) "Does this assessment cover cognitively complex task?" (KDP)

A pilot of a reading test to be used in college entrance examinations for black South Africans showed how students' interpretation of the test differed as the social context was altered. The multiple meanings produced by shifting power relations call into question the test's validity. (SK)

The reliability and validity of Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAP) scores were investigated for 53 mothers of young children with disabilities and 60 mothers of young children without handicaps. Results generally support the integrity of CAP scores, although the random response subscale's reliability could be improved by omitting some items.…

Presents citations in the ERIC database on testing and assessment in the social studies. Includes items concerning the nature of testing, tests as guides for curriculum, the impact of testing, and the validity of performance grades. Suggests works on context effect, history instruction, and what students need to know. (DK)

A communicative-competence orientation was undertaken to study the validity of test-score inferences derived from the revised Test of Spoken English (TSE). To implement the approach, a sample of undergraduate students, primarily native-English speakers, provided reactions to the test responses of a sample of TSE examinees. (Author/VWL)

Examines one aspect of the many interfaces between second language (L2) learning and L2 testing. The aspect is the oral interaction--the dialogue--that occurs within small groups. Discusses from within a sociocultural theory of mind, that in a group, performance is jointly constructed and distributed across the participants. (Author/VWL)

Because educators have unrealistic expectations about tests, they use them inappropriately and draw inaccurate conclusions from results. This article debunks five myths about test-score comparisons: valid measurement of school quality; declining international competitiveness; "fixing" schools with more tests; development of new, improved…

In an engineering technology course at Coventry University (England), the utility of computer-assisted tests was compared with that of traditional paper-based tests. It was found that the computer-based technique was acceptable to students, produced valid results, and demonstrated potential for saving staff time. (Author/MSE)

To test the validity of brief measures of intelligence and explore how well these instruments relate to academic performance, the WPPSI-R, the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Scale, Draw-A-Person: Quantitative Scoring System, and the K-ABC Achievement Scale were administered to 50 kindergarten and first-grade children. Results indicated all measures…

The question of validity, or how high-stakes tests are being used and interpreted, threatens to undermine the entire standards movement. Joint standards developed by three professional associations say decisions affecting students' life chances should not be based on test scores alone. Objectivity and teaching to tests are real concerns. (MLH)

Reviews developments in language testing research and practice over the last 20 years, and suggests future directions in the areas of professionalizing the field and validation research. Argues that concerns for ethical conduct must be grounded in valid test use, so that professionalization and validation research are inseparable. (Author/VWL)

Reports on an ongoing evaluation of the Vermont portfolio assessment program. Indicates that the positive news about the instructional effects of the assessment program are in contrast with the empirical findings about the quality of the data the program has yielded. (SLD)

This study investigated the dialectal sensitivity of the T-unit as a nonbiased alternative for assessing the oral grammatical skills of school-age, nonstandard English speakers. Analysis of language samples from 28 9-year-old children (half African-American) revealed no significant differences between groups, suggesting that the T-unit may be a…