Because it is possible to distort the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP) scores, the ATDP should not be used as a screening device unless it is used in conjunction with other attitude measures. It might be used as a measure of a person's knowledge of what constitutes "positive" attitudes toward disabled persons in our…

Normal Curve Equivalents (NCEs), a new score system for standardized tests, are used by school districts in reporting results to federal funding agencies. The author uses a quiz format to answer questions on the use of NCE scores. (EGS)

Greater understanding of language and social forces constraining language performance has complicated the view of language as a code and the learner as an object to be conditioned. Serious questions arise, then, regarding effective testing of linguistic/communicative competence and the use of test results for educational decision making.…

The history of test development and the current controversy over standardized testing are reviewed. The consequences of testing, particularly for minority groups, are outlined, and criticism of some viewpoints of professors Robert Ebel and Melvin Tumin is made. (Author/AL)

Summarizes themes from the articles in this issue: distinction between evaluation and assessment, innovation, bias, integration into program delivery, and transfer. (SK)

Studied the opinions of professional psychologists in Europe about tests and testing with samples of 3,455 Spanish, 2,407 English, 2,079 Dutch, 321 Slovenian, 219 Croatian, and 210 Belgian psychologists. Results show a generally positive attitude about tests and testing, coupled with an awareness that institutions need to adopt a more active role…

Presents responses of eight teachers concerning the effects of mandated testing. Describes how the teachers cope with the problems raised by mandated tests. (RS)

Opposing views are expressed on the value of standardized testing (ST) in public schools. The pro-ST view argues that these tests provide comparative data needed to plan and evaluate schools and individuals. The opposing view focuses on problems of reliability, validity, and bias; and on the damage done to children. (IAH)

Reviews the role of statistical hypothesis testing in research, discusses the problems with multiple t tests, indicates when they are a problem, and suggests a compromise solution. (one reference) (JL)

Unstated reasons for the trend toward alternative assessment include mismatch between teachers' student-centered orientation and depersonalization of traditional testing; teachers' desire to exercise professional judgment; and the feeling that traditional tests are redundant and do not reflect the entirety of classroom learning. (SK)

Two studies with 80 5- and 8-year olds found that initial recognition tests elevated children's false-memory responses on delayed tests, and that false-memory creation exceeded true-memory inoculation in 5- and 8-year olds, producing net loss of accuracy over time. (MDM)

The development of procedures by which test publishers can screen individual purchasers to minimize the possibility of test misuse is described. The Test User Qualifications Working Group (TUQWoG), an outgrowth of the Joint Committee on Testing Practices, was formed to address the prevention of test misuse through improved methods of screening…

The theory and purpose underlying R. Feuerstein's Learning Potential Assessment Device (LPAD) is reviewed, and implications for deaf education considered. It is argued that LPAD use will enhance: (1) assessment of deaf children from non-standard American backgrounds; (2) incorporation of assessment results into educational programming; and (3) the…

Admissions testing and its consequences are looked upon as a reflection of the current debate occurring in Western capitalist democracies concerning the optimization of freedom, fairness, and wealth. In dealing with the competition and conflict of values and interests, there can be no factual but political resolution. (Author/AL)

The Joint Committee on Testing Practices has completed the "Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education," which is meant for the public and focuses on the proper use of tests in education--admissions, educational assessment and diagnosis, and student placement. The Code separately addresses test developers' and users' roles. (SLD)