The author states that the particular types of tests used in the classroom as well as the method of administering and evaluating the test may have a marked effect on the outcome of student measurement. The three most popular tests related to writing and transcribing shorthand--shorthand vocabulary tests, dictation tests, and transcription…

Looks at the implications of some striking new research on how children become successful readers. (Editor)

The decline in test scores is more reflective of social changes than of educational failure. (IRT)

Informs social studies teachers about ways of helping their students prepare for standardized tests by developing classroom exercises that enable students to see relevance and transferability between the classroom activity and the social studies test. (Author/DB)

Provides an overview of the probable role of assessment in the improvement of elementary and secondary education. (Author)

This report presents factors to consider in the design of computer-based testing for all students, including students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency. It also provides a process for the initial transformation of paper/pencil assessments to inclusive computer-based testing. Steps include: (1) assemble a group of…

The requirements of the revised Elementary and Secondary School Act for annual assessment of student progress highlight problems in using tests in a stringent manner to assess students and teachers. Issues such as validity, reliability, and time spent on test preparation must be considered. Some tests are used for prediction of future performance,…

This compendium is designed to provide a quick overview of assessment instruments that can be used with kindergarten-aged children. It provides a starting point for gathering information on assessment instruments by giving information on approximately 40 instruments published since 1986 that are commercially available. Information on each…

Whether assessment items administered using screen reading software measure students learning better than assessment items in a paper-and-pencil format was studied. Using a computer to present a test orally controls for standardization of administration and allows each student to complete the assessment at his/her own pace. In this study, 96…

This paper explores the development of universal design and considers its application to large-scale assessments. Universal design is a concept that originated in the field of architecture, but quickly expanded into environmental initiatives, recreation, the arts, health care, and now, education. In addition to the concept's application to…

This report contains information gathered in the second of a series from the National Center for Research in Mathematical Sciences Education regarding effects of mandated testing. The purpose of the study was to determine for each state: (1) whether mathematics testing was mandated at the state level; (2) the processes of test selection or…

This document discusses the accuracy of student placement procedures for math and English at the College of the Canyons. A survey was conducted to assess the degree to which students agreed with their placement into their first math or English course at the College of the Canyons. Students were also asked to indicate whether they felt that they…

This document examines the possible impact of a proposed standardization of placement scores for college English throughout the Connecticut Community College system. The 12 Connecticut community colleges use Accuplacer for placement into college English. Each college, however, uses different placement cut-off scores, and has varying structures of…

This chapter briefly describes some of the methods that test developers and psychometricians have devised to identify item and test bias and some of the challenges they still face. Although it may not be reasonable for classroom teachers to use these methods on a day-to-day basis in constructing tests, the authors argue that it is important for…

The need for a mathematics placement test was acknowledged because a number of students registered in introductory algebra (Math 110) were struggling with problems involving only arithmetic operations. A placement test was selected with the intention to effectively detect students with arithmetic deficiencies and place them in a remedial…