This commentary explores some of the most pointed criticisms of the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), and of high-stakes standardized testing more generally. The author focuses specifically on the impact of NCLB on urban schools -- schools which are the constant focus of reform in a culture that presumably wishes to educate its citizens in…

This article argues that the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) creates what Sergiovanni et al. (2004) term "turbulent policy demands" which foster ethical dilemmas for principals. It focuses on the impact of the implementation of NCLB on students with disabilities, as it appears that there is discontinuity between the…

A study was conducted to identify the factors that could predict students' achievement in English grammar and usage when instruction was self-paced and programed. The factors investigated were (1) student grade point average (GPA), (2) verbal student achievement test score (SAT), (3) quantitative SAT score and (4) total SAT score. Subjects were…

Designed for helping teachers improve classroom instruction with the help of tests, this handbook highlights the different kinds of tests that indicate important things about student performance: (1) teacher-made tests used to assess student learning; (2) diagnostic tests, prepared by a test publishing company; (3) achievement tests, prepared and…

The effectiveness of measures used in the admissions process to predict performance in and/or graduation from a University of Minnesota dental hygiene program is examined. Students in classes entering from Fall 1977 through Winter 1979 were studied, and predictor and performance measures to be studied were identified by the program. Predictor…

The background out of which "truth in testing" legislation arose is reviewed in this report, which also describes existing state and federal testing legislation, details arguments raised in hearings on the legislation, analyzes the legal issues raised, and provides a framework for simplifying the arguments and gathering more information.…

The American College Testing (ACT) Assessment Program is reviewed in this four-part report in terms of its use at North Harris County College (NHCC). Part I briefly reviews the contents of the four ACT tests: English Usage, Mathematics Usage, Social Studies Reading, and Natural Science Reading. It goes on to discuss the stability, limitations, and…

This special issue of "Catalyst", entitled Testing Programs in Schools: What's New?, was published jointly by the Nebraska Council of School Administrators and the Nebraska Association for Supervision and Curriculum. The articles emphasize desirability of designing testing programs to meet the information needs of educators and the…

This report was developed in the Test Use Project at the Center for the Study of Evaluation. The general goal of the project is to examine and describe the features and applications of tests and other assessment methods that contribute to the improvement of instruction. It is, therefore, examining the nature of current assessment practice, the…

The relationship of the dimensions of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to scores on the National Teacher's Examination (NTE) was examined. The MBTI classifies people on each of four indices: extraversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judgment/perception. A sample of 111 students, 90 percent of whom were black,…

A large sample of entering freshmen men and women at the Pennsylvania State University completed the Jackson Vocational Interest Survey (JVIS) during orientation. The instrument's 34 scores together with SAT math and verbal scores were analyzed in a stepwise discriminant function procedure with groups defined by the students' initial choice of…

The authors argue that personnel who select standardized achievement tests have been led to believe that the major achievement test batteries differ very little in terms of the topics they test; but that the content covered by these major tests is different, and that such differences have consequences for instructional content. To test this…

In a 1979 survey, the majority of the 73% responding superintendents and 38% responding school board chairmen in 269 randomly chosen small school districts across the nation indicated that program evaluation activity occurred in their districts and that evaluation information was generally desired by and available to the school board.…

Testimony and exhibits presented at subcommittee hearings held in Washington, D.C., from July 31, 1979 through October 11, 1979, are compiled with reference to two proposed bills concerned with standardized admissions tests. The first, the Truth in Testing Act of 1979, H.R. 3564, requires all educational admissions testing conducted through…

The context of the debate over secure versus open testing is described, with particular emphasis on tests used for postsecondary or professional school admission. Recently introduced federal and state legislation on testing is also described. Four arguments in support of open testing are summarized: (1) fairness demands that tests be open; (2)…