Concludes that inferential reading test questions are as likely to be passage dependent as factual test questions. (MKM)

Reviews ERIC documents dealing with the preparation and use of informal measures of reading comprehension. (DD)

Describes the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests and evaluates their suitability for testing reading, concluding that they appear to be carefully developed survey tests of general reading achievement. (DD)

Intermediate students scored better on reading comprehension tests when questions on content were interspersed in the text. (JD)

Examines the controversy surrounding the administration of the Metropolitan Achievement Test on reading and the subsequent recall of the results data by the chancellor of the New York City schools. (IRT)

Testing is a means of obtaining information about people and their status. Too often tests and testing govern us as educators rather than being governed by us. Reviews the problem and offers some suggestions. (Editor)

Compares effectiveness of the Gates-MacGinitie Readiness Skills Test (G-M) and Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) for predicting reading achievement in grade one and studies whether either test differentially predicts reading in an i.t.a. approach or a t.o. sight approach. G-M was a better predictor than ITPA for both groups.…

Studied differences in the types of errors made by students with disabilities on a multiple choice reading test administered under oral reading accommodations. Findings for 2,999 high school students suggest that it is safe to adhere the same meaning to test scores for disability groups even when the test is administered under different…

Argues that teachers should look at standardized tests first before designing tests that will evaluate students' critical thinking and reading. Describes five standardized tests appropriate for use with college students and adults. (RS)

Discusses several new educational assessment procedures implemented in Illinois and Michigan school districts. (MM)

All educators must possess knowledge of student assessment practices. This article outlines basic testing concepts and test construction and usage skills for teachers and administrators. Includes nine references. (MLH)

A new breed of standardized reading tests, slated for use in Michigan and Illinois, measures integrative thinking instead of isolated skills and gives teachers a valuable diagnostic tool. A breakdown of content areas is given, as well as a preview of actual questions. (IAH)

A study involving 105 undergraduates assessed the value of testing as a means of increasing, rather than simply monitoring, learning. Results indicate that fill-in-the-blank and items requiring student inferences were more effective, respectively, than multiple-choice tests and verbatim items in furthering student learning. (TJH)

Refutes Leslie MacLean and Harvey Goldstein's charges (in the January 1988 "Kappan") that the National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Proficiency Scale is based on a single assumption (reading proficiency) accounting for responses to all reading tasks. Characterizes the scale as developmental, with points corresponding to…