One of the two major phases of the Test Use Project of the Center for the Study of Evalaution (CSE) is discussed; that is, the collection and analyses of survey data from a national sample of teachers and principals representing the targeted grades/schools. Some historical background influencing that phase of the project is provided. The findings…

The paper outlines identification and social problems regarding the gifted bilingual bicultural student and offers suggestions to parents and teachers for alleviating those problems. Noted among problems in identification is that minority students may not exhibit behaviors and characteristics which are recognized as manifestation of talents and…

Reading comprehension tests usually contain reading passages followed by multiple choice questions about the passages; but one potential weakness of this format is that the questions may be "passage independent," answerable without necessarily reading the passage first. When examining this phenomenon by assessing a particular test, the…

Three papers--by educational economists Kurt L. Kendis, Steven J. Klees, and Alan P. Wagner--independently examine the economic impact of college credit by examination (CBE) on students, institutions, and higher educational systems. Major issues are identified and further research topics are suggested. Kendis suggests the following results of CBE:…

The effect of anxiety on learning in a variety of educational contexts is reviewed in general, and two areas of anxiety research especially relevant to educational psychology are reviewed in detail. The first is test anxiety reduction programs, and the second is the outcomes of these programs and the interaction between anxiety and instructional…

Two studies investigated the effects of earning college credits for freshman year courses--as a result of performance on the College Level Examination Program's (CLEP) General Examinations--on later academic success. These are multiple choice tests of English composition, social science, natural science, humanities, and mathematics. Both studies…

Organized as a question-and-answer booklet, this parents' guide explains scores on standardized reading achievement tests. Examples illustrate the meaning of certain grade equivalent scores. The grade equivalent method is described as a poor way to report scores; raw scores, percentiles, and stanine ranges are discussed as alternatives. The…

The Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) was mandated to meet the requirements of the 1974 amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It was hoped that TIERS would lead to a clear report of the effectiveness of Title I programs, based upon a synthesis of nationwide data. It has been extremely difficult to compare…

Educational assessment tools are used for accountability; selection and licensure, and to measure the effects of instruction for student diagnosis and treatment. Psychometric instruments currently in use are flawed in two ways: they attempt to rank people on fundamentally multidimensional traits, and the problem of the validity of these…

As part of the development of a collection of criterion-referenced test reviews, a survey was conducted to determine the information needs of educators who select tests. Three aspects of test selection were emphasized: (1) factors affecting choices among available tests; (2) consumers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about criterion referenced…

In an effort to comply with bilingual instruction requirements, school districts throughout California will soon be involved in testing vast numbers of children to determine language proficiency and language dominance. Many language tests will require a child to repeat a sentence or a phrase in exactly the same manner that is stated by an examiner…

DATA FROM THE PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION PORTION OF THE CEEB ENGLISH COMPOSITION TEST (ECT) WERE CONVERTED TO THE ORIGINAL RANK-ORDER AND WERE THEN RESCORED BY THREE SYSTEMS USING SPEARMAN'S RHO TO DETERMINE WHICH METHOD YIELDED SCORES THAT CORRELATED BEST WITH TOTAL ESSAY SCORES. TWO OF THE METHODS INVESTIGATED, ONE IN WHICH THE NUMBER OF SCORES WAS…

FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE TESTING OF MINORITY GROUP CHILDREN ARE PRESENTED. THE CONVENTIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF MENTAL TESTING ARE TOO OFTEN DEVELOPED FOR THE INTELLECTUAL AND SOCIAL WAYS OF MIDDLE-CLASS CHILDREN. AS A RESULT MINORITY GROUP CHILDREN ARE EXCLUDED FROM OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING BECAUSE OF "CULTURAL DEPRIVATION." THE GUIDE…

We should seek an updated perspective on intelligence testing because it is useful to reevaluate any practice that has long become institutionalized, especially one that is subject to severe criticism. Cultural bias is the most prominent criticism. Testing proponents contend that intelligence tests reflect skills and knowledge emphasized in school…

For the most part, standardized tests are verbal and presuppose that the test takers know the language, culture, and values of the test makers, who usually represent white, middle class language and values. The communication problems that minority groups face when taking standardized tests include phonological biases (especially when the tests are…