Competency testing legislation is the result of citizen pressure and lacks the benefit of careful deliberation by professionals. Hastily passed legislation has forced state departments of education and school districts to accept their duty to implement competency testing programs without the appropriate resources. Many of the basic problems of…

College applicants taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the Test of Standard Written English (TSWE) were surveyed regarding the tests, college admission in general, and the communications received concerning the test and their scores. Separate questionnaires were administered before taking the SAT or TSWE, after taking the test, and after…

Issues related to ability testing and affirmative action are discussed, including the fair use of tests in academic and occupational selection, the effects of testing upon the tested individual, and implications of the issues for the major participants. Types and functions of ability tests, both aptitude and achievement, are described. Studies of…

A classical model for achievement test development was influenced by: the educational tradition of selecting a sample of questions appropriate to a subject and counting the proportion of acceptable responses; the emphasis on obtaining a large and homogeneous sample of questions to insure reliability; and the tradition in psychological testing of…

Evaluation plays an important role in the academic career of students and instructors. It is a concept that is repeated throughout the academic year and one that determines future roles and placement of students. This report is a summary of the findings of the first two years of a five-year research study of evaluation conducted at Edinburgh…

The research project's objectives were: survey of the field, development of new approaches and techniques, investigation of factors in the employment of the trainable mentally retarded (TMR), development of objective measurement of work adjustment behaviors, selective application of new methods, and development of a model vocational evaluation…

Research in education has not been relevant because: 1) Decision makers have been making decisions without research findings and see no need for this kind of information now; 2) Research findings in the local schools are usually made available to the decision-maker or administrator after the decisions have been implemented; 3) Researchers feel the…

General features of local and national programs for assessing achievements referencing the common instruction are discussed within a single mastery achievement testing framework. The envisioned programs differ only in informative detail. Most such differences are viewed as amenable to formalization and the basis for distinguishing between local…

This book is a practical guide for assessing the intended learning outcomes of classroom instruction. It is based on the premise that assessment of student achievement plays a vital role in instruction and that the main goal of assessment is to improve learning. The new title of this sixth edition reflects a shift from major concern with classroom…

In the rush to implement world-class standards supported by systems of accountability in public schools, education leaders have compromised the educational future of Hispanic students by making high-stakes decisions based on inaccurate and inadequate testing information. State policies often require that Hispanic students be assessed in English…

This policy statement clarifies the role of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team in selecting individual accommodations, modifications in administration, and alternate assessments for state and district-wide assessments. It states that neither the state education agency (SEA) nor the local education agency (LEA) can limit the authority…

Designed for parents and family members of students with disabilities, this policy statement clarifies federal requirements for including children with disabilities in state and district-side assessment programs. Information is presented in a question-and-answer format that addresses: (1) requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities…

Questionnaire results from l04 psychologists serving the blind and partially sighted indicated disagreement on the tests used and on the evaluation of these tests. Tests of all kinds from 45 publishers were rated, and appropriate ages and populations (blind, partially-sighted) were suggested. (CP)

This review of research on assessment of second-language listening abilities looks at some testing issues and challenges (assessing higher-level skills, confounding of skills, assessing listening in oral interaction, authenticity), discusses assessment methods and techniques (test administration, item formats), and considers potential applications…

This study utilized a test, re-test procedure to investigate what effects a change in the order, or sequence, of test items would have on student performance. College juniors (n=102) were given a 50-item multiple-choice and matching item test on the general subject of educational measurement. The items had no particular sequence, but had simply…