This book is a collection of nine commissioned papers that consider the educational reform represented by performance assessments, their advantages and disadvantages, and the challenges of successful implementation. Both theoretical and practical issues are addressed. (SLD)

A strength of this exploration of testing and test use in the United States is the concern for how tests affect student conceptions of learning and student relation to knowledge. A weakness is a persistent confounding of classroom and large-scale assessment for state and national purposes. (SLD)

"Assessing Student Performance" sets forth arguments for looking at testing and assessment. The exploration is more about morality and epistemology than about technology and politics. A principal assumption is that mainstream assessment and testing philosophy is flawed. (SLD)

A program designed to administer questionnaires on IBM and IBM-compatible personal computers is described. The program prompts subjects to indicate responses by clicking on a graphic line segment or entering a numeric value. The program enhances accuracy in estimating moderating effects by overcoming transcriptional errors and scale coarseness.…

This book presents a timely, refreshing, and fairly solid contribution to the assessment field. It focuses on differential psychology and psychological testing related to Hispanic Americans, emphasizing the proper role of tests and several technical and social issues pertaining to Hispanic Americans. (SLD)

The five chapters of this report provide resources that deal with the validity, generalizability, comparability, performance standards, and fairness, equity, and bias of performance assessments. The book is written for experienced educational measurement practitioners, although an extensive familiarity with performance assessment is not required.…

This book is a practical text that provides concrete solutions to problems related to academic dishonesty with an overview of research and theory and strategies for preventing, confronting, and managing the problem. (SLD)

This book presents what is known about cheating and is a strong foundation for anyone interested in developing or reevaluating policies and procedures to address the issue of cheating on tests. (SLD)

Despite its failings, Herrnstein and Murray's "The Bell Curve" is valuable for emphasizing cognition as significantly affecting human performance and social achievement; acknowledging human differences; and offering a frightening depiction of contemporary American society. The authors err in reducing intelligence to a stable, immutable…

Reviews two tests which highlight important trends in the assessment of learning disabilities, and presents potentially valuable, practical developments in assessment. Identifies the recurring problem of the lack of a theory, construct, or clear definition to guide the assessment of learning disabilities. (MG)

"Tests in Print IV" is a two-volume comprehensive master index of commercially published separate test titles in print that are available for purchase and use. There are over 3,000 entries, the majority of which originated in the United States. It is an invaluable resource for English-speaking test users. (SLD)

Discusses current high-stakes standardized testing policy in response to G. Cizek through analogy with the policies of Chairman Mao in China and the decision to build the Maginot Line in France after World War I. Lessons from these events show that high-stakes policies skew outcomes and present high risk. (SLD)

Although G. Cizek's article balances positive consequences for high-stakes testing against anti-testing criticisms, there is no evidence that high-stakes testing per se has substantial positive consequences. There is, however, optimism that aligned educational systems with testing as a component may lead to higher levels of student achievement.…

Responds to critiques of an earlier article on the unintended consequences of high-stakes testing. Reiterates the need to look for positive as well as negative consequences of high stakes testing and calls for balance between the role of large-scale assessment in identifying achievement deficits and the responsibility educational systems have to…

Comments on the discussion by Ginette Delandshere and Anthony Petrosky of the numerical rating of complex performances in the context of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Early Adolescence/English Language Arts assessment. Conceptualizes the discussion in terms of matching information to purpose in testing. (SLD)