This paper investigated the predictive validity of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) for members of different gender and minority status groups. The following data were obtainted on 45,067 undergraduates enrolled in 31 different institutions in a state college system: SAT Verbal (SAT-V) and SAT Mathematics (SAT-M) scores; high school average…

The findings from content studies of three Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Advanced Tests: Biology, Literature in English, and Political Science were reported. The studies were designed to indicate the degree to which content specified for and included in test forms for these fields is representative of the content actually taught in the…

This paper investigates the reliability of the Florida Performance Measurement Systems' Summative Observation instrument. Developed for the Florida Beginning Teacher Evaluation Program, it provides behavioral ratings for teachers in a classroom setting. Data came from ratings of videotapes of nine teachers conducting actual lessons by nine teams…

In this speech, the president of the National Education Association presents a series of arguments against the development of national educational standards and against the continued use of national, norm-referenced, standardized tests. Eight objections to the use of such tests are noted. Defense of the teaching profession's objections to the…

To determine the concurrent validity of a standardized test and its usefulness to educators, reading ratings from the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills were compared to teacher ratings and independently administered placement test ratings. Two hundred one primary children, the majority of whom read one or more years below grade level, took the ITBS by a…

While the goal of language teaching has been the development of practical communication, most language tests have stressed mastery of discrete linguistic skills. Oral language performance-based testing requires test-takers to use and perform in the language in actual communicative situations. The variations in communication created by the…

The applicability of a recognized construct validation procedure, the nomological network, to a sixth-grade criterion-referenced mathematics test developed in a metropolitan school system was investigated. Two samples were tested. The first sample was used to investigate two hypotheses: items within each objective will constitute a Guttman scale,…

Administrative and technical problems were encountered in carrying out a minimum competency program for high school students in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District. The history of required minimum competency testing was reviewed briefly, and the process of clarifying and operationalizing the requirements was described within the Austin…

This study provides preliminary evidence as to the validity of measures derived from the "Tests of Scientific Thinking" (TST). The TST and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) were compared with regard to their relationships to interests, self-appraisals, and accomplishments of students during their first year of graduate work in…

This book of readings for counselors, researchers, faculty, graduate students, and policy-makers provides information regarding issues on sex fairness and sex bias in occupational interest measurement. The papers are presented in three sections, with each section prefaced by introductory comments by the editors. The first section, an introduction,…

The broad topic of preparing examinations for college-level courses is addressed in this guide. General suggestions include the following: devise a test that reinforces the objectives established for the course; decide upon the primary purpose of the test before constructing it; make the test as valid and reliable as possible; and standardize the…

The work of the United States Civil Service Commission's Personnel Research and Development Center to develop a basis for the written test portions of the Professional and Administrative Career Examination (PACE) is described. The objective was the identification of a construct-valid set of cognitive ability tests for entry level positions.…

The generalizability and concurrent validity of the FLOAT (Formal Lecture Observation Assessment Inventory) were studied. College instructors were rated, using the FLOAT, by their students and by trained observers who viewed videotapes of the classes. The teachers were also asked to evaluate themselves. A previous study of interrater reliability…

Three tests of daily living skills for retarded adolescents were developed and validated: making purchases, seeking jobs, and using banks. These three tests were adapted from three of the nine sections of the Social and Prevocational Information Battery (SPIB), a test made up mostly of true-false items. Each of the three tests were developed in…

The development of the English as a Second Language Assessment Battery (ESLAB) was based on needs indicated by achievement and placement statistics. The selection of the proficiency skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) was supported by changing views in language assessment and by legislation. Andrew D. Cohen's language model was…