Effects were studied of 12 teacher and 11 student characteristics (including SES and ethnicity) on 7 student outcomes--cognitive, affective and coping skills. Fifty-three sixth grade teachers and 1,190 Black, Chicano and Anglo students participated. A series of covariance and regression analyses showed significant curvilinear and interaction…

To help teachers in comparing the content of their instruction with the content of standardized tests, a taxonomy of elementary school mathematics was developed. The taxonomy consisted of matrix with three dimensions; (1) mode of presentation (how questions are asked); (2) nature of material (type of numbers or mathematical terms); and (3)…

The applicability of item characteristic curve (ICC) theory to a multiple choice test item pool used to measure achievement is described. The rationale for attempting to use ICC theory in an achievement framework is summarized, and the adequacy for adaptive testing of a classroom achievement test item pool in a college biology class is studied.…

Normative data reported by publishers of the California Achievement Test, the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, and the SRA Assessment Survey were used to illustrate a procedure for specifying goals for Title I programs in terms of normal curve equivalent (NCE) gains. The procedure was based on the amount of growth reflected in student reading…

There is currently a conflict between educational accountability and the distrust of standardized testing. Concern for the quality of education is based on evidence of students' academic dificiencies, the decline in test scores, and increasing education costs and school taxes. As a result of criticism, states have mandated, or are considering,…

Procedures which are used by Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, Inc., in developing achievement tests are described; these steps are suggested to be typical of major test publishers. A curricular analysis of fifth grade mathematics textbooks is presented, to illustrate the process which determines which skills and objectives are tested. The…

When a program evaluation is conducted on the basis of gains made in standardized achievement test scores between a pretest and a posttest, serious bias can result where a floor effect exists on one or both of the test levels. Based upon the expanded standard scores on the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills from three successive regular spring…

Despite a decade of debate, standardized achievement testing continues as one of the most controversial issues in education. This study sought the views of teachers, counselors, and principals, regarding the advantages and limitations of achievement testing programs. Responses to a questionnaire and informal discussions indicated positive…

To evaluate the usefulness of standardized achievement tests in assessing pre-university academic achievement and aptitude, the Council of Ontario Universities administered tests to incoming freshmen at four Ontario universities, and also examined their high school and subsequent university performance. The tests were designed to measure…

SIX ACHIEVEMENT TESTS IN DIFFERENT SUBJECT AREAS THAT WERE ADMINISTERED TO COLLEGE FRESHMEN RESULTED IN BETTER PERFORMANCES BY STUDENTS WITH A FOREIGN LANGUAGE BACKGROUND. DESPITE VARIOUS EXPLANATIONS OFFERED (INTELLIGENCE, MOTIVATION), THE SUPERIORITY PERSISTS WHEN COMPARISON IS MADE WITH CITY HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCTS, GRADE POINT AVERAGE, OR HONOR…

A short term preschool readiness program was designed in 1967 to employ nonpedagogically trained middle class mothers as teachers for preschool disadvantaged children. The children chosen for this study were 43 Mexican-Americans and five Negroes from lower class families. Three classrooms, consisting of 12 children and three mothers each, were…

Activities of the Test Development and Research Office (TEDRO), a division of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), are described. The WAEC is an international educational and professional testing organization established to serve its four member countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia. The U.S. Agency for International…

A study was done to identify factors which predict success or failure of students in an associate degree nursing program using the completion of the program and passage of the State Board Test Pool Examination (SBTPE), which leads to licensure as a registered nurse, as success criteria. Pre-program and program data and SBTPE scores were collected…

Normative data were obtained on the performance of first-year graduate students on the Aptitude Test and Advanced Tests of the Graduate Record Examinations. The population consisted of students enrolled as full-time graduate students for the first time in the fall of 1964 in a college or university belonging to the Council of Graduate Schools…

While most school districts believe they understand grade equivalent scores, teachers, parents, and measurement specialists frequently misinterpret this apparently simple statistical expression. Echternacht's article describes the construction, application, and interpretation of grade equivalent scores from the test publisher's perspective.…