Maintaining the precision necessary for administering norm referenced tests can be a problem for the special education teacher who is trained to assist the student. Criterion-referenced tests, observations, and interviews are presented as effective alternative assessment techniques. (JDD)

The test security policies and practices of state departments of education were investigated in a survey responded to by 46 states for 1989-90. The most detailed test security procedures have been implemented when test stakes are highest. Complex procedures are only considered cost effective in large-scale programs. (SLD)

Precedents from litigation on state graduation assessments provide insight into the potential legal arguments challengers may raise with regard to mandated content and performance standards for all students. Clearly documented, fairly administered procedures that adhere to professional recommendations will be the hallmark of defensible standards.…

An index is proposed to detect cheating on multiple-choice examinations, and its use is evaluated through simulations. The proposed index is based on the compound binomial distribution. In total, 360 simulated data sets reflecting 12 different cheating (copying) situations were obtained and used for the study of the sensitivity of the index in…

The Personal Preference Self-Description Questionnaire (PPSDQ) was developed to measure personal preferences as regards Jungian psychological types. Instruments in this area are among the most popular measures used in education and psychology; the measures are used in matching teaching and learning styles, in individual counseling and family…

A study examined whether composition specialists can counterbalance the potential privileging of the assessment perspective, or of self-appointed interpreters of that perspective, through the study of assessment discourse as text. Fourteen assessment texts were examined, most of them journal articles and most of them featuring the common…

To investigate the practicality of developing short forms of the Porch Index of Communicative Ability, the results from tests previously administered to 222 aphasic patients were analyzed. (Author/LS)

The possible application of ideas to control test scoring is discussed. (Author)

The possible application of ideas to control test scoring is discussed. (Author)

Reports the results of an experiment in which 146 college freshmen were asked either to fake bad answers, fake good answers or record their own views on the Defining Issues Test. Findings indicated that students could not fake higher scores, but could fake bad scores. (SDH)

An alternative method of evaluating the candidate in the British university examination procedure is presented. (PG)

Examines the relationship between anxiety manifest prior to an examination and the quantity of study for that examination. Results indicate that they are positively related and that quantity of study had a near-zero relationship with performance on the examination. (HMV)

Three aspects of sex bias in ability tests are discussed. The first two areas of concern are the surface qualities of test items (surface, in the sense that these qualities may be seen by inspection and do not require empirical data), and the equating of male and female score distributions through item analysis and item selection techniques. The…