A brief review of the types and uses of tests, to aid parents in interpreting their children's test scores, is presented. Tests covered include classroom tests, standardized tests, achievement tests, aptitude tests, norm-referenced tests, and criterion-referenced tests. Issues associated with test reliability and validity are addressed and the…

Determining the overall pass rates on the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) for a given cohort of students involves an analysis of both the first-time examinee performance and subsequent pass rates of students who failed the test and retook it at a later date. Two increases in the scores required to pass the CLAST in 1986 and 1989 have…

Reports and statistical data summarizing the major trends and events of 1990 with regard to higher education are presented in four main sections, each with a number of subsections. The topics covered in section 7, "The Academy: A Statistical Profile," are as follows: enrollments expected to reach new peak in 1991; enrollments trend line…

The traditional multiple-choice reading comprehension test of English as a second language, used in the Dutch school-leaving examinations, has been criticized for its apparent lack of construct validity. The Dutch National Institute for Educational Measurement has conducted a number of studies to determine whether there is a different skill…

The intent of this chapter is to emphasize the student evaluation aspect over other legal principles. Several cases illustrate that courts will interfere with school boards' authority to determine placement of pupils only when a violation of constitutional or statutory rights of a student occurs. In the matter of sanctions against students that…

To help college reading teachers develop an awareness of what standardized reading tests do and do not reveal about students' reading abilities, a study examined the testing of reading and criticized four major standardized tests. Results indicated that reading is tested through (1) reading passages accompanied by multiple choice questions, (2)…

Topics related to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are discussed. Issues affecting the impact of testing on education include: what is tested; how scores are referenced; internal versus external sources of testing; and the rewards, sanctions, or stakes associated with test results. Testing has both intentional (direct) and…

The study reported here sought to establish the predictive validity of the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers (MAP), an instrument designed to identify preschool children at risk for school-related problems in the primary years. Children (N=338) in 11 states who were originally tested in 1980 as part of the MAP standardization project were given a…

Three common policies used by English departments in Kuwait universities to accommodate the students in appropriate course types and levels are discussed and compared from a practical perspective. The three policies are concerned with placement tests and remedial courses and are intended to: (1) place students with high scores on the standardized…

This paper argues that no single measurement strategy serves all purposes and that applying methods and techniques which allow a variety of data elements to be retrieved and juxtaposed may be an investment in the future. Item response theory, Rasch model, and latent trait theory are all approaches to a single conceptual topic. An abbreviated look…

This document sets forth detailed curriculum objectives and an associated three-phase promotion testing program for grades 3, 6, and 8 for public schools in the state of North Carolina. The program was administered for the first time in 1986. The 1987 testing program began with administration of the California Achievement Tests (CAT). Students…

This paper was developed to help Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) administrators make informed decisions when selecting employability assessment tools. The paper focuses on one aspect of participant assessment: assessing the level of basic education skills of economically disadvantaged youth. The paper provides the following: (1) comparative…

This final report summarizes the activities and findings of a research project which developed a model program for preschoolers "at risk in language." A total of 22 children, including 17 children "at risk" and 5 peers, participated in the program; the children served by the project showed increased facility with language in…

A state-mandated outcomes assessment test for certification of teachers has been administered in Texas since 1986. At Southwest Texas State University, which produces the most certified teachers in the state, the assessment showed that its students were not also among the best. In response to this situation, a presidential committee conducted…

The workshop examines testing approaches for use with bilingual or limited English speaking students in determining eligibility and need for special services. The workshop covers the following areas: (1) an overall process for deciding whether a student may be in need of special services; (2) ways to alleviate or avoid problems which may impact on…