This study investigated the effects of high and low need achievement, individual vs. group test adminstration, and potential dropout and nonpotential dropout on the Manual Dexterity Aptitude of the General Aptitude Test Battery. Following the administration of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), 120 high school males were assigned to one of…

Presented are eight papers that deal with the educational implications for handicapped children of domain-referenced testing, as contrasted with standardized norm-referenced achievement testing. The crucial aspects of each testing model are highlighted by W. Hively in an introductory section. M. Reynolds surveys past and present special education…

It has been the experience of most adult basic education teachers that their students are apprehensive about taking tests. The study evaluates the effects of training adult basic education teachers in behavioral attending skills. Two basic questions were investigated: (1) Would the training of instructors in the use of behavior attending skills…

The alternative suggested is comprised of three elements: 1) Working toward changes in attitudes of people and institutions to directly attack discriminatory applications of tests; 2) Emphasizing test validation and development by new test instruments oriented to the needs of disadvantaged applicants; and, 3) Eliminating discriminatory selection…

Technical advances of the last 15 years in measurement theory and practice are described, notably criterion-referenced testing, item response theory, and computers and testing. Several remaining problems concerning the development and validation of credentialing examinations are also considered. (Author/LMO)

In this study, FairTest evaluated how well state assessment practices live up to the promise of high standards without standardization. The practices of states were measured against standards derived from the "Principles and Indicators for Student Assessment Systems," a 1995 publication of education and civil rights groups working…

FairTest evaluated how well state assessment practices live up to the promise of high standards without standardization. The practices of states were measured against standards derived from the "Principles and Indicators for Student Assessment Systems," a 1995 publication of education and civil rights groups working through the National…

This report is a compilation of information collected from a searchable database on the testing accommodations that are most often allowed for students with disabilities in state policies. These ten accommodations include: (1) Braille edition of the test; (2) computer/machine response; (3) dictate response to a scribe; (4) extended time; (5)…

In 1987, a survey report by J. Cannell was published criticizing state reports based on national standardized testing of elementary school students that indicated that all 50 states were above the national average. This phenomenon--known as the "Lake Wobegon Effect"--is analyzed. Technical problems with the study are considered. (TJH)

National curriculum assessment in England and Wales is explored, focusing on its troubled implementation. The work of the Task Group on Assessment and Testing and teacher resistance to the mandated testing are discussed. Experiences in England and Wales provide insight into what can be expected in a national assessment system. (SLD)

A survey identified 352 psychological tests that are used in Australia but produced in other countries. About 89 percent have been standardized for use in Australia, but no local data have been compiled for some high-use tests. Responsibilities of test distributors and users are discussed. (SLD)

Research says the school-improvement mechanisms favored by policymakers-more certification tests (like the Massachusetts Educator Certification Test that 59 percent of candidates failed in 1998), higher cut scores, and severe penalties for institutions not meeting pass rates-are unlikely to deliver increased accountability and better teachers.…

Results support the predicted relationship between achievement anxiety reaction type and academic performance but only partially support the inverted-U hypothesis posited to account for this relationship. (RB)

This paper reviews the differences between two interpretations accounting for the poor test performance of high anxious students: (1) that anxiety interferes with retrieval of prior learning; or (2) that, due to study skills deficits, the initial acquisition by anxious students is less thorough than by those lower in anxiety. Research results…

An important problem in psychological test theory is the development of a sound method for determining whether a test which purports to measure the level of a certain ability is, in reality, significantly contaminated by one or more other abilities displayed by persons taking the test. Because of the large number of private and governmental…