A sample of 21 guidance counselors was administered the full battery of Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation aptitude tests to compare scores with the "general population" (norm group). The counselors had worked in public schools, private schools or as self-employed consultants for an average of 10 years. The average age was 42. The tests, which…

Project Basic is a program developed by the Maryland State Department of Education to assure that students attain basic skills in a variety of areas. Two levels of tests are given in grade 7 to monitor progress, and in grades 9 to 12 to determine whether each student has met the state minimum competency level. Students must pass the higher level…

This Digest overviews legal challenges in five areas of test use for decision-making in schools: ability tracking, placement in special education classes, test scores as college admissions criteria, test disclosure, and teacher competency testing. Cases illustrating these challenges are described and include: Hobson v. Hansen (1967), Moses v.…

An overview of listening tests and a description of the Watson-Barker Listening Test are presented in this paper. Topics covered include the readability and validity of listening tests; listening test administration; listening test criteria; creation of the Watson-Barker Listening Test; development, validation, and proper administration of this…

This ERIC Digest discusses implications derived from the final report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, "A Nation at Risk." The first implication is a motivational one for measurement specialists: it is an ego-booster. The report is replete with results yielded from various testing programs, the fruit of the…

The number of schools and students tested in the Department of Defense (DoD) High School Testing Program has declined since the program reached its peak in the school year 1974-75. Telephone interviews with school counselors indicated that the decline was due to school-related difficulties of test administration, lack of student interest, and the…

This booklet is intended to help school personnel, parents, students, and members of the community understand concepts and research relating to achievement testing in public schools. The paper's sections include: (1) test use with direct effects on students (test of certification, selection, and placement); (2) test use with indirect effects on…

The United States Employment Service (USES) Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) for Ticket Agent is evaluated from three points of view: (1) technical adequacy of the research; (2) fairness to minorities; and (3) usefulness of the battery to Employment Service staff and employers in selecting individuals for ticket agent positions. Research…

This paper reports the results of a survey conducted in the spring of l981 that was designed to collect and summarize guidelines on appropriate test use from the various organizations, agencies, and associations involved in standardized educational testing. The primary objective of the study was to learn how these various groups define the issues…

Intended for educators seeking information on direct writing assessments, this monograph describes general procedures for planning and conducting a writing assessment and strategies for tailoring that assessment to local needs. The introductory chapter offers a brief comparison of direct and indirect writing assessment methods, highlighting those…

A study of elementary school teachers in California schools was conducted to determine the amount of testing they administered. Yearly state assessment tests, standardized norm-referenced test batteries, criterion-referenced tests, minimum competency tests, and teacher-made, curriculum-embedded tests were used. Testing in most areas was more…

Virtually every school system is concerned with two educational considerations: (1) where the students are academically, and (2) how to get the students to a particular set of points. Minimum competency testing has been proposed as one way to handle these concerns. Competency testing has, however, been criticized for encouraging "teaching to…

The traditional use of scores derived from standardized, norm-referenced achievement tests is examined as to its role in a local school system's efforts to monitor itself and to examine how well individual students, schools and the overall system are functioning. Several questions regarding the legitimacy of well-established practices involving…

Several methods of assessing test item bias are described, and the concept of fair use of tests is examined. A test item is biased if individuals of equal ability have different probabilities of attaining the item correct. The following seven general procedures used to examine test items for bias are summarized and discussed: (1) analysis of…

The uses and misuses of standardized test results used for program evaluation as seen by a staff member of an Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I Technical Assistance Center are described. In ESEA Title I, test scores are used to select students for the program. Although federal requirements do not require using standardized test…