Problems in the validity and usefulness of the Law School Admission Test in selecting appropriate candidates for law school admission are detailed. The history of the test's development and controversy over its use are discussed. Available from Law Student Division, American Bar Association, 1155 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637; $1.00. (MSE)

Test validity, coaching, the college admissions process, and achievement tests are discussed by the director of the Iowa Testing Programs. Data published on the SAT are examined. It is suggested that systematic instruction in problem-solving skills may improve not only test performance but also skills the test is designed to assess. (Author/MLW)

Reports research results suggesting that teachers need to assess several facets of reading comprehension, such as vocabulary, comprehension of passages, and speed of reading, in order to obtain an adequate picture of students' reading skills. (AEA)

Puts forth four hypotheses on the causes of declining Scholastic Aptitude Test scores. They are student drug use, the integration of ethnic minorities into the schools, teacher participation in collective bargaining, and humanistic education. (IRT)

This article will argue that cost-benefit analysis persuasively demonstrates that truth-in-testing laws are socially and economically justified but often fall short of providing a comprehensive regulatory scheme adequate to correct the market dislocations generated by an unregulated testing industry. (Author)

Current conflicts over test bias and "truth-in-testing" reflect differing aims of education and the increasingly important social role of testing in our society. (Author)

The purpose of the study involving 573 third graders was to explicate the relationships between student test performance on standardized intelligence, achievement, and creativity tests and teacher perceptions of these abilities. (Author)

Standardized tests are merely a place to begin evaluation. As an alternative, criterion-referenced measures offer more specific information. The end point of assessment must involve diagnostic teaching and continuous evaluation of real-life task and setting modifications. (Author/CP)

Recent experience of test development in Ireland, which had no tradition of formal standardized testing, is described, in order to highlight a number of practical and psychometric problems. It is pointed out that some conventional procedures for developing norm-referenced attainment tests have limitations, especially in countries with centralized…

A model for assessing the developmental skills of handicapped children is presented, for school psychologists. Stressing the relationship between assessment, intervention, and program evaluation, it is consistent with Public Law 94-142. Three assessment methods are recommended: parent interview, observation, and adaptive use of standardized tests.…

A survey of 216 clinicians investigated their degree of satisfaction with tests of language development and testing processes and found that school clinicians were significantly less satisfied than clinicians in clinic/hospital settings. Also, clinicians with caseloads greater than 40 expressed greater dissatisfaction with tests and the testing…

Between 1976-88, the black-white scoring gap on the Scholastic Assessment Test closed significantly. The improvement in black scores was so strong that some educators predicted that within a generation, the gap would disappear. However, since 1988, the racial gap in SAT scores has become wider, with no compelling evidence that any improvement is…

Describes the management and collection of standardized educational and psychological tests at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and analyzes the use patterns of patron request cards. Current electronic test locators and evaluation services are indicated as well. (Author/LRW)

Reviews research related to testing procedures and accommodations for individuals with hearing impairments, with a special focus on the specific issues that may influence standardized psychological, educational, and work-related testing procedures for people with hearing impairments. Includes considerations for professionals conducting assessments…

Describes the current assessment policy context in primary education in Ireland and analyzes the perspectives of teachers, policymakers, and parents. Reveals the need for the various interest groups to clarify the purposes of assessment and to recognize that different purposes may require a different mode of assessment. (Contains 32 references.)…