The extent and direction of curriculum bias in standardized reading achievement tests were examined. Bias was estimated by comparing the relative overlap in the contents of five separate reading achievement tests with the contents of seven commercial reading series at first-grade and second-grade levels. Overlap between each achievement test and…

Social science instruments are not neutral. That school psychologists need to pay close attention to the sociopolitical implications of their assessment instruments is illustrated through the woeful history of the use and misuse of the concept of intelligence in the United States during the first third of this century. (Author)

Questions the validity and reliability of the Reading/Everyday Activities in Life (R/EAL) test, which is intended as a self-administered, self-directed, and self-paced test of basic literacy for minority populations and others traditionally singled out by the bias of standardized reading achievement tests. (SRT)

Examines 200 Barbadian parents' and 100 teachers' perceptions of restrictive and coercive strategies for students taking the Common Entrance Examination. Generally, parents were significantly less likely than teachers to view the strategies as undesirable and/or counter-productive. Implications for parents as a potential educational reform…

To identify broad classes of items on the Scholastic Aptitude Test that behave differentally for handicapped examinees taking special, extended time administrations, the performance of nine handicapped groups and one nonhandicapped group on each of two forms of the SAT was investigated through a two-stage procedure. (Author/LMO)

Based on data from 22 controlled studies, this article presents a meta-analysis of the effects of examiner familiarity on children's test performance. It was found that examiner familiarity raised scores especially when subjects were: (1) of low socioeconomic status; (2) tested on difficult tests; and (3) knew the examiner for a long duration.…

Examines the historical evolution of the "separate but equal" doctrine as it applies to education. Problems of definition as well as subtle forms of continuing segregation (such as discrimination in housing, selection of school district boundaries and "ability grouping") have prevented the attainment of equal education promised by the Brown…

A study was done to identify the cultural or linguistic bias present in an English as a second language placement examination at the university level. Test items exhibiting bias in their respective skill domains were identified by comparing 34 native Spanish speakers and 77 native Chinese speakers. (SED)

Reports on a study providing evidence that prior knowledge influences the comprehension of texts and that the effect is not because of contrived materials or other validity problems. (FL)

This collection of original and previously published articles fills a critical need for professional literature that documents successful research-based practices and programs that teach African American children to read. Thoughtful commentary on historic and current issues, discussion of research-based best practices, and examples of culturally…

Changes in assessment policy have resulted in a proliferation of testing in Canadian schools. Advocates claim that more testing will result in greater accountability, but this book states that there is little evidence to support standardized testing from a pedagogical perspective. It examines the effects of standardized testing on educational…

This paper introduces important issues in the psychological and vocational assessment of Native Americans in schools, mental health clinics, counseling centers, and rehabilitation programs. A primary concern is to conduct such assessment in a fair and unbiased manner. Various methods are used to gather information: interviewing the client, family…

In response to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), "Systems for State Science Assessment" explores the ideas and tools that are needed to assess science learning at the state level. This book provides a detailed examination of K-12 science assessment: looking specifically at what should be measured and how to measure it. Along…

Two competing definitions of test fairness and their differing implications are explained and illustrated, and data from a number of published studies on test bias are reanalyzed; the focus is on unfair bias that may exist in tests that are approximately equally valid for both majority and minority groups. (Author/JM)

Test anxiety scores from a 15-item internally consistent instrument were correlated with performance on an aggregate science test administered to 171 fourth- and 187 eight-grade students subdivided by sex and race. The interpretation of data possibly suggest that test anxiety is operating differentially for black and white students. (Author/PN)