The criterion-oriented problem of test bias and fairness in selection is compared to the construct-oriented problem of comparability of test scores in cross-cultural research. These problems are shown to have important similarities, and their studies may supplement each other. In a formulation of psychometric criteria for the comparability of test…

This symposium consists of five papers and presents some recent developments in adaptive testing which have applications to several military testing problems. The overview, by James R. McBride, defines adaptive testing and discusses some of its item selection and scoring strategies. Item response theory, or item characteristic curve theory, is…

Intelligence quotient (IQ) scores are widely accepted as measures of academic potential. However, both hereditary and environmental factors also play a role in performance. The limitations of IQ tests require that they be handled differently when administered to students from backgrounds other than the dominant cultural group. In addition,…

All second and third graders in California public schools were administered the Reading Test of the California Assessment Program; performance of all sixth and twelfth graders in reading, written expression, spelling, and mathematics was assessed with the Survey of Basic Skills. Findings were compared to those of previous years and can be…

Phase II of a two-part project, this study was conducted in Missouri to develop a quantitative competency matrix for each of the vocational and technical education service areas represented in Missouri. (A description of both phases of the project appears in CE 018 918.) After a literature search identified the affective work competencies desired…

This review covers a time span from 1922 to 1980. It examines the link that exists between assessment and teaching. After discussing the milieu in which the two take place, the remainder of the review addresses four questions: (1) how do teachers use test information for instructional decisions?; (2) what has research indicated about the linkage…

This guide to surveying college students, graduates, and dropouts accompanies The Student Outcomes Questionnaires developed by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. Student outcomes are defined as the results or consequences of a student's enrollment in a post secondary educational program. The Student Outcomes…

A representative sample of California school psychologists was surveyed to determine the extent of the use of the Adaptive Behavior Scale and the relationship between training in the use of the scale and perceptions of the efficacy of its measures. A large majority of psychologists had used the scale two or fewer times, though 30-45% had been…

Before a bilingual program can be set up, students who are potential candidates for such a program must be identified. A study was made to investigate the interrelationships of three commonly used measures of "language dominance": the Language Facility Test (LFT), the Home Bilingual Usage Estimate (HBUE), and the Teacher Judgment Questionnaire…

This textbook is intended for use in an introductory course in the use of tests in schools and colleges. The book is divided into five parts: (1) history and philosophy--educational measurement, historical perspectives; Measurement and the process of education; (2) classroom test development--what should achievement tests measure?; How should…

The concern with the negative impact on blacks of the national trend toward assessing aptitude achievement and intelligence almost solely through test instruction whose validity and/or administration method is often suspect is reflected in this document. It reports the conference proceedings of the National Association for the Advancement of…

This article describes the revised Transdisciplinary Play Based Assessment, a dynamic assessment for children functioning developmentally between infancy and six years that involves the child in play situations, which provide opportunities to assess cognitive, social-emotional, communication and language, and sensorimotor development. Its…

A study evaluated the effects of Strong Interest Inventory (SII) completion and participation in a theoretically based model of SII feedback/interpretation on the social cognitive career beliefs of 99 first-year students at a southwestern university. The Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale--Short Form (CDMSES-SF) measured each participant's…

The results of the achievement testing program of the Alberta (Canada) public schools are reported for the June 1991 administrations. The 1991 results help demonstrate what is possible for students in grades 3, 6, and 9 to know and do in science, mathematics, and social studies. For the first time, results are reported in terms of curriculum…

This study compared the results of group tests of computational skills and tests of knowledge and skills in mathematics between three groups of first and fifth grade students from the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. The battery of tests were constructed after reviewing the mathematics textbooks used in each location and discussing the major…