Reported on the development of a behavior rating scale for doctor-patient interactions. Results revealed that raters can reliably and accurately discriminate between medical and personal aspects of both speech and touch using written transcripts and audiovisual tapes of doctor-patient interactions. (JAC)

The empirical item analysis techniques for developing short-forms of tests is questioned. Assumptions fundamental to Spearman-Brown theory are shown to offer an alternative. (Editor)

Can the need for a broader education for singers and the desire for high ratings in contests somehow be combined? Yes, said the author, if another element is added to school music contests: an evaluation of the non-performance aspects of musicianship. (Author/RK)

This article is mainly concerned with a study of the relation between the content of a multiple choice test and its composition, from the point of view of those features in tests which enable the testee to derive the correct answer by studying the composition of the test itself. (Author/POP)

Argues that customized criterion-referenced tests produced for use by particular school systems are preferable to "off-the-shelf" criterion-referenced tests or standardized norm-referenced tests, and briefly discusses some of the problems related to developing effective customized criterion-referenced tests. (JG)

This report asserts that rapid changes in many areas, such as technology and communications, marked the 20th century, the first century of ability testing. Predictions about the second century of testing seem difficult in such a context. Yet, looking back to the turn of the last century, E. Kirkpatrick (1900) in his American Psychological…

This CD ROM is designed for use by teachers singly or in groups. It may also be used by technical assistance providers preparing to work with teachers. The CD ROM provides an interactive tool to help teachers analyze and interpret standardized test data, use data to plan for effective instruction, develop classroom assessments that align with…

This paper reports the creation, implementation, and discontinuation of a standards based spelling assessment program in Anchorage, Alaska. The program was initiated by the Anchorage school board as part of establishing district-wide performance goals for students in 1998-1999. Spelling was singled out for attention because of national discussions…

This report emphasizes the need for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to integrate the use of technology into its assessment procedures. It reviews major options and suggests priorities to guide the integration. The paper identifies three short-term goals for this development: (1) a linear computer-administered assessment in a…

Task-based language assessment (TBLA) grows from the observation that mastering the grammar and lexicon of a language is not sufficient for using a language to achieve ends in social situations. In TBLA, language use is observed in settings that are more realistic and complex than in discrete skills assessment and that typically require the…

This 2000 Summary marks the eighth edition of the Summary of State Student Assessment Programs. Using data gathered in the annual survey, this report summarizes what is occurring in statewide assessment programs and provides information on trends in state assessment activities. Completed surveys for the 2000 year were received by the Council of…

A multipart assessment of kindergarten readiness was developed for the State of Vermont. The approach reflects emerging consensus around the appropriate domains of development to include in child assessments, as well as the need to assess schools' readiness for young children and their families. The approach differs from some states' approaches,…

This study extended prior Law School Admission Council (LSAC) research related to the item response theory (IRT) local item independence assumption into the realm of classical test theory. Initially, results from the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and two other tests were investigated to determine the approximate state of local item independence…

The paper discusses the key criteria of good language tests: practicality, validity, and reliability.

The American Psychological Association, in the late 1940s, began work to establish a code of ethics to include and address the needs of members in scientific and applied fields. Out of the ethics work emerged a set of standards for evaluating psychological tests. Four categories, or types of validity, were identified: content, predictive,…