A suggested technique for analyzing distributions of test scores compares distributions of scores made by groups of pupils on standard tests with distributions made by other groups of students on the same tests. By identifying the percents of student scores which must be shifted to an adjacent cell (interval) to make the two distributions exactly…

The Colorado Evaluation Project was funded to field test the Common Status Measures concurrently with Colorado's pilot program in assessment and evaluation. The primary purpose is to determine Colorado's educational needs, and the secondary purpose is to test procedures for assessment which can be replicated or adapted by local school districts or…

There are four steps in obtaining test data, each requiring planning and decision-making: assembling students, administering tests, scoring, and recording scores. In assembling students, two cautions are in order. First, for norm referenced tests, students in the treatment group should take the test at the same time of the year as the students in…

Testing, assessment, and evaluation, all based on measurement, are assuming increasingly important roles in American society. They are becoming a more vital force in the world of work, in education, and in the processes of determining the effectiveness of social institutions. Educational Testing Service (ETS) convened a conference for education…

Examines the continuing controversy on test scores and student achievement in New Jersey. (RK)

The application of tests in clinical and counseling work, in educational achievement testing, and in personnel selection is discussed. An analysis of the organizations which comprise the testing industry, including the various publishers and developers of tests and also the test scoring organizations, is given. The concept of an assessment system…

Offers a review of ERIC documents providing descriptions of testing programs and evaluations of student assessment programs, as well as materials focusing on assessment validity, state testing initiatives, and cohort testing. (DMM)

This progress report of the Head Start program in three sample communities in Kansas--Kansas City, Topeka, and Lawrence--contains 1968-1969 data. There are 11 classes in the sample, with 137 eligible children (68 females and 69 males; 81 Negroes; 15 Mexican American, 40 Caucasian, and 1 Other); 46 of the children were under 48 months; 48 were 49…

This comprehensive evaluation of basic skills testing in California's elementary and secondary schools is divided into an executive summary and a collection of research reports. The summary evaluates current testing conducted by the state, school districts, and classroom teachers; describes experimental studies on new ways of testing and reporting…

The report presents the fourth evaluation of the Ohio Career Development Program for Grades K-10. Although career education programs appeared to be successful on observation, the administration of curriculum-based tests in 1973 showed no major difference between results of the program and nonprogram students. Policy studies in education developed…

Intended both to evaluate the California testing program's success in assessing student achievement in the basic skills and to suggest possible improvements in the program, this report includes an executive summary evaluating current testing procedures, describing experimental studies on new ways of testing and reporting testing information, and…

In this article, the authors describe various rationales for accountability testing programs over the past century. This history forms the backdrop for current test-driven reforms, including Public Law 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), which was signed into law in January 2002. The goals of the authors are first, to illustrate…