Procedures are presented for state departments of education and the local educational agencies to share the responsibility of showing that a minimum competency test is a fair measure of what is taught. It is recommended that the state lead in technical assistance, provide models, and monitor and evaluate the entire process. (CM)

A qualitative evaluation of the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA) as implemented in a Colorado public school system is presented. The evaluation relies heavily on perceptions of participating administrators, and is very positive. (JKS)

The system of competency tests used by the University of Georgia System is examined. Arguments for and against the tests developed by the state board of regents are presented, and the issue of racial discrimination is also addressed. (JMF)

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between selected personality and motor variables in emotionally disturbed elementary school children; also to determine an estimate of the reliability of certain measuring instruments when used with this special group of subjects. (JD)

A socially moderated link was established between statewide achievement results and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) by using the same achievement level descriptions in an Iowa Test of Basic Skills standard-setting and an NAEP standard setting study. A statistically moderated link was established through an equipercentile…

Standard-setting practices in states using the National Teachers Examination (NTE) were examined. Passing score-setting procedures, recommended study scores, passing scores established by the states, and the implications of the passing scores were studied. States have typically adopted standards lower than cut scores recommended by advisory…

Future trends in high school basic skills testing programs are discussed. Topics include subject area testing, national comparison testing, test security concerns, and technology's impact. The future is likely to bring more testing, rather than less, but there will be significant changes in the ways tests are implemented. (SLD)

The New Jersey High School Proficiency Test--a new, more rigorous competency test required for high school graduation in New Jersey--was evaluated for three years of its use. The impact of the state's testing program on curriculum, high school graduation, state compensatory education funding, and district certification is discussed. (SLD)

Results are presented from a study of portfolio use for large-scale assessment in the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) public schools that are more encouraging for the use of this form of assessment than many other studies have been. Requirements for the psychometric integrity of portfolio assessment are discussed. (SLD)

A procedure is described for estimating the reliability and conditional standard errors of measurement of scale scores incorporating the discrete transformation of raw scores to scale scores. The method is illustrated using a strong true score model, and practical applications are described. (SLD)

High-stakes state-mandated testing programs are discussed, illustrating that proposed educational innovations are adopted because of their power as symbols of value orientations in the wider culture. In such programs, tests represent order and control, focus on important outcomes, and symbolize basic moral values. (SLD)

Explores issues involved in using assessments to define standards and encourage efforts to meet them and compares the European examination system with the American testing system. Also considered are issues of the definition of learning domains in ways that do not encourage narrowly focused training on specific assessment items. (SLD)

Discusses the teaching of history and social studies in Connecticut. Addresses curricular and teacher certification requirements, continuing education units (CEUs), and mastery testing. Identifies problems and suggests possible alternatives for evaluating tenth grade students' social studies knowledge. Briefly describes the role of the Connecticut…

Differences between national testing as discussed in the most recent report of the National Council on Education, Standards, and Testing, and by the Office of Technology Assessment are reviewed. National testing is not new, but the political use of nationally standardized achievement tests is a recent and dangerous trend. (SLD)

Most states have expanded their statewide testing programs to include alternative educational assessments, and two (Kentucky and Maine) have completely abandoned the multiple-choice format. However, over half of states designing alternative assessments are encountering major difficulties related to the high cost of performance-based assessments,…