The concern that minimum competency testing programs allow minimum performance levels to be accepted as the maximum was investigated, using reading and mathematics achievement test data in one state. State and local school district standards were defined as the number of students falling below each standard, thus needing remediation. Test results…

The more commonly cited uses of state and local district assessment programs are addressed. The implications of seven proposed uses of state assessment data are reviewed point-by-point: (1) allocating state grants-in-aid to alleviate weaknesses in instructional programs; (2) designing instructional support programs for teachers; (3) developing…

This publication is a compilation of the papers presented at the 1974 Washington Language Testing Sumposium. The volume also includes much of the discussion that followed each paper. The participants were an international group of language testing specialists from academic institutions, research centers, and government agencies. The primary focus…

This paper presents an overview of the state of the art in attitude assessment of young children toward school and school-related activities. The focus is on preschool children, aged four, through second grade children. Various problems of attitude assessment are presented and techniques of attitude measurement such as (1) teacher ratings, (2)…

The purpose of these studies was to develop and demonstrate a model for identifying criterion levels of performance that can be rationally defended as being the best level of performance for a particular instructional task. The specific objective was to identify the score on a cloze test that represents the most desirable level of performance on…

The analysis in this article is directed to the basic issues: Are IQ tests biased against Black children? And are IQ tests valid for the placement of Black children in special programs? The research evidence on these major issues is ambiguous and contradictory. (Author/CTM)

Examines methodological problems affecting assessment of bilingual children's cognitive and language development. Analysis of three qualitative instruments used to identify gifted students among Mexican American bilingual kindergartners revealed the influence of first and second language, verbal and nonverbal assessment procedures, multiple…

Because of the importance of standardized test scores in current definitions of educational achievement, pressure to raise test scores has affected their accuracy. Examines the causes of two major sources of test score pollution and their impact on education. Discusses the ethical status of documented test-preparation activities. (CJS)

As the idea of including limited English proficient (LEP) students in large-scale assessments is becoming popular among researchers, the practical question of how to do so meaningfully so that the needs and performances of LEP students are recognized while their scores are interpreted and used correctly becomes more important. This paper presents…

Detailed evidence is presented about the extent of generalization from high-stakes tests to other tests and about the instructional effects of high-stakes testing. Data are from grade 3 of a large, high-poverty urban district with large numbers of Black and Hispanic American students. The district's results in 1990 for two tests, designated Test B…

The New York State Education Department is currently developing an innovative and comprehensive system for teacher certification assessment. One component is the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Performance (ATS-P), a video-based performance assessment for which teachers would prepare and submit a videotape of their instruction for evaluation by…

The measurement dilemmas involved in assessing the national educational goals established by the President and governors at the 1989 education summit are discussed. The first and most important choice is what to assess and whether to align assessment to the vision of curriculum reform or to the curriculum that students are actually experiencing.…

The impact of large-scale testing on curriculum policies at district and school levels and on science teaching at the classroom level was studied for British Columbia (Canada). Other factors affecting teaching practices were considered. In 1983, the Province reintroduced centrally set and graded province-wide examinations for grade 12, following a…

A selection of essays on foreign language planning at the national level contains articles on the language planning process, language choice, teacher education, testing and assessment, and transnational planning. Essays include the following: "Foreign Language Teaching Policy: Some Planning Issues" (Theo J. M. van Els); "Foreign…

The objective of this study was to investigate differential tendencies to avoid guessing as a function of three variables: (1) lingual-cultural-group; (2) gender; and (3) examination year. The Psychometric Entrance Test (PET) for universities in Israel was used, which is administered in Hebrew, Arabic, English, French, Spanish, and Russian. The…