The review presented and discussed in this paper explores the theoretical underpinnings and research findings of the washback of high-stakes tests in the field of language teaching and testing as well general education and suggests areas and ways of researching the phenomenon in the future. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA) focused attention on the academic achievement of more than 5 million students with limited English proficiency. Obtaining valid test results for these students is challenging, given their language barriers. This testimony describes: (1) the extent to which these students are meeting annual academic…

The guide is intended for teachers who must construct language tests and for other professionals who may need to construct, evaluate, or use the results of language tests. Most examples are drawn from the field of English-as-a-Second-Language instruction in the United Kingdom, but the principles and practices described may be applied to the…

A simple way of comparing the more widely used measures of the outcomes of mental health treatment is offered through this list of measures that includes both practical information and information about psychometric considerations. Each review contains information about the format, practicality (administration time and scoring), reliability,…

This resource guide, second in a series of three volumes, is a compilation of assessment instruments, tools, or checklists. These instruments were submitted by active professionals in the field of assistive technology and demonstrate the range of instrumentation in use today. Each item submitted is reviewed according to a standard format that…

The widespread use of standardized tests and the high stakes decisions made because of their scores are facts that cannot be ignored. It can be argued, therefore, that assessment literacy should be included in the training of teachers and administrators. To determine the extent of selected assessment knowledge among preservice and inservice…

This paper addresses the cross-cultural development and use of the Behavior Description Index (BDI). The development of culturally-transportable scales; cross-cultural comparisons of results for 12 Spanish, 15 Hungarian, 15 Indonesian, and U.S. managers; and the transportability of competencies as constructs are considered. A competency is an…

In 1990 the scope of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) was broadened by adding the Trial State Assessment (TSA), in which approximately 2,500 eighth graders in 100 schools in 40 states and U.S. territories participated in the mathematics assessment. A major step was training local test administrators to administer the TSA…

Problems in the testing of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) are examined, focusing on proficiency testing needs and test standardization. Particular attention is paid to listening and reading assessment. The first part of the discussion looks at specific problems with five existing proficiency tests, including such aspects as inadequacy of the…

Classical measurement theory was used to investigate the measurement (psychometric) characteristics of both parts of the Finding Embedded Figures Test (FEFT) administered in either a "no guessing" supply format or a multiple-choice selection format to undergraduate college students or to middle school students. Three issues were…

The College Outcome Measures Program (COMP) and the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) examinations were evaluated as measures of the effectiveness of the general education program of the University of Tennessee (Knoxville). The criteria used to evaluate these examinations focused on their construct validity. The data were…

This chapter is limited to the specific employment practice of employee testing. The purpose is to distinguish between constitutional and statutory standards for challenging discriminatory testing practices and to propose procedures for developing, administering, and using tests as part of personnel decisions. Four Supreme Court cases are…

The role of testing in American education is becoming increasingly important in grouping students for educational purposes. This article reviews practices adopted by educators or administrators to improve student test scores. Stopgap measures for improving standardized test scores include (1) switching to easier tests; (2) eliminating certain…

Eight fifth grade students participated in a study that investigated the effects of test context on test performance and subjects' perceptions of tests in varying contexts. In the first three contexts, reading of words in isolation was tested using materials drawn from three different informal reading inventories equivalent in difficulty level.…

With the increasing emphasis on teacher competency testing, it is important to examine the usefulness of the currently available paper and pencil tests. At least 40 states in the United States now have, or are planning to have, teacher tests for initial certification. Some states have tests for career advancement, and 20 mandate tests for…