The sixth annual "State Education Performance Chart, Supplement" compares the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 24 variables arranged in 2 groups: student performance and resource inputs. The variables are a subset of those used by the main chart. Comparisons are made between 1988 and 1987 data for most variables, or between…

This press release documents the remarks made by Lauro F. Cavazos (U.S. Secretary of Education) at a press conference publicizing the 1989 edition of the "State Education Performance Chart." This chart provides comparative data for the years 1982 and 1988. It is reported that in 1988, the performance of U.S. students was stagnant.…

The use of item banks and item response theory has resulted in new ways to misinterpret and misuse tests through customized, yet standardized, achievement test batteries. The new test batteries create the possibility of serious misunderstandings based on the idea that any subset of items from the pool with a proper range of difficulties will…

This paper presents future interactions between curriculum and test content, particularly standardized achievement test content. Three topics are discussed in question-answer form. (1) Will standardized testing dictate the curriculum in the future? An analysis of major curriculum change indicates two changes in the past 25 years: a revolution…

Recent test results reveal that the test score decline has ended, but the legacy of this highly publicized educational episode continues. One widespread interpretation of the decline and recovery is that permissiveness and a collapse of standards in the late 1960s led to the decline and that a return to the basics and to tougher standards caused…

A study was conducted to provide insight into the consistency of reading achievement scores from four standardized tests. Several sets of data were compared to assess the accuracy of grade equivalents or instructional reading levels obtained on standardized tests. Each test was randomly assigned for administration to 23 third graders in a group…

The commonly-occurring mismatch between second language student and course level, resulting in student boredom or intimidation, is due to overreliance on standardized language tests. These tests emphasize passive skills, such as recognition of grammatical structures and translation, and they ignore the element of communicative competence. As a…

A study was conducted to analyze the relationship between the first-semester grade point average (GPA) of nursing students at Vermont College and their scores on the Nursing State Board Examination. The study sought to determine whether a GPA of 1.75 (which is currently required for progression in the nursing program beyond the first semester)…

The three-parameter logistic model discussed was used by CTB/McGraw-Hill in the development of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, Form U (CTBS/U) and the Test of Cognitive Skills (TCS), published in the fall of 1981. The development, standardization, and scoring of the tests are described, particularly as these procedures were influenced by…

Using a statewide sample of Louisiana's prospective teachers' results on the National Teacher Examinations (NTE) (N=5,642), the investigation probed the relationships between NTE composite scores, Weighted Common Examination Total (WCET) scores, and WCET subscores with selected predictor variables (overall grade point average (GPA); GPA in…

Because testing, in many different forms, currently plays such an important role in education, Elementary Secondary Education Act, Title I, the Division of Federal Assistance in the Vermont State Department of Education, prepared this brochure to present a general introduction to terms and phrases commonly used in testing and to highlight some of…

The role of test scores used as a district monitoring device by boards of education is discussed. It is suggested that board members insist on inservice education to become knowledgeable in using test scores as curriculum feedback, to understand what is being tested, and to understand test results. Concepts to be covered include: (1) meaning of…

The use of standardized tests for program evaluation, student placement, and student progression in order to improve the quality of higher education is discussed. It is noted that student achievement is being used as a criterion for judging programs as part of state assessments. Although standardized test scores have long been used by institutions…

An overview is presented of the current status of competency testing for teacher certification. The question of the effect of certification tests on the quality of hired teachers is briefly discussed. Statistics are presented on types of tests used by various states, with particular attention to differences in the cut-off scores for passage of a…

An overview and analysis is presented of the Vance and Schlechty Study (1982) of education majors which indicated that there is a negative selection process which systematically attracts and holds in the teaching profession young people with modest verbal and mathematical abilities. Three factors, operating singly or in combination, were…