The consequences of the minimum competency testing movement may bring into question the basic assumptions, goals, and expectations of our school system. The intended use of these tests is the assessment of students; the unintended consequence may be the assessment of the school system. There are two ways in which schools may fail in the context of…

This study involved the development, validation, and use of the Individualized Classroom Environment Questionnaire (ICEQ), which measures classroom environment perceptions along dimensions (Personalization, Participation, Independence, Investigation, Differentiation) which differentiate individualized classes from conventional ones. The ICEQ…

Cloze tests assess the readability of a book for students in a far more personal way than formulas or standardized tests of reading comprehension. The cloze procedure reflects the total language abilities in the following ways: familiarity with sentence structure, context clues, and vocabulary, and the ability to draw inferences from written…

Attitudes related to standardized achievement and ability tests were examined among a group of elementary and middle school teachers and administrators whose students are tested annually to fulfill a statewide accountability law. Teachers' survey responses indicated general support for testing and for the use of test results for diagnosing school-…

The way test scores are used by both the public and private sectors, and the way in which this use is promoted and regulated indicates how some public policies are formed and who characteristically bears the cost of policies as well as who benefits. What has been happening in the relationship between test use and policy formation is not unique,…

Educational and psychological measurement has been a main area of work for the Australian Council for Educational (ACER) since its inception. The theoretical and practical contributions of latent trait measurement and commentary on the relatively recent use of these models in Australia were the focus of a seminar celebrating the 50th anniversary…

The research literature on oral achievement testing is reviewed, and advantages and disadvantages of oral tests are described. A number of suggestions are made for improving the objectivity, reliability, and validity of oral tests. The results of a survey of the attitudes and experiences of a selected sample of college students with regard to…

The United States Employment Service (USES) Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) for Waiter/Waitress (Informal) 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 training as…

The United States Employment Service (USES) Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) for Refinery Operator 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 training in refinery operator…

This study was designed to investigate the impact of the National Teacher Examination (NTE) Core Battery and Specialty Area tests on the selection of teachers. The areas examined were how states use the NTE Programs Tests; distribution of test takers and test scores by racial/ethnic group; impact of qualifying scores on passing rates of these…

In 1982, a survey of California community colleges was conducted to determine which standardized tests were being used at entrance to college for matriculation and/or placement and to ascertain how satisfied users were with the instruments. Surveys were sent to administrators or staff involved with entrance and assessment practices at 106…

Guidelines are given assessing the community living skills of deaf students through an adaptation of the Street Survival Skills Questionnaire (SSSQ), which was originally designed for developmentally disabled or handicapped adolescents and adults. Adaptations include consideration of situational factors (such as visual distractions) and the…

The preparation and use of an objective strength analysis report (OSAR) from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) are described. The OSAR was designed to answer two needs: (1) a format which allows the school to easily answer the question "which reading objectives need more emphasis and/or better materials or techniques in order to raise its…

Part of the plan by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to prepare training materials and conduct conferences on improving teachers' use of standardized tests was to survey a representative sample of elementary/secondary teachers. This survey ascertains teacher preparation and knowledge in testing, teacher assessment of the importance of…

Members (elementary and secondary teachers) of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) were surveyed in preparation for a series of workshops to improve teachers' use and understanding of tests. Results showed generally positive attitudes towards tests, and a specific interest in using tests for diagnostic and prescriptive planning purposes.…