Articles in this series on testing and evaluation specifically address the use of tests to assess and improve educational status; achievement test selection; and trend toward increased use of coaching materials to improve test performance. Professional literature on educational measurement is reviewed. (MBR)

The purpose of this research study was to illustrate the ways in which out-of-level testing policies have changed over the three years from 2000-2001 to 2003-2004. In 2000-2001, 12 states were using out-of-level tests to measure student progress toward content standard proficiency. A detailed research study conducted at the end of 2000-2001 to…

During the past few years, several Harvard paper surveys were converted to Web surveys. These were high-profile surveys endorsed by the Provost and the Dean of the College, and covered major portions of the university population (all undergraduates, all graduate students, tenured and non-tenured faculty). When planning for these surveys started in…

Assessed affects of Computer-Assisted Self-Evaluation (CASE) system of multiple-choice testing. Learning and retention were examined in two equivalent groups of undergraduates. Students (N=34) receiving 24 quizzes with immediate feedback outperformed students (N=30) receiving two midterms with delayed feedback. (Author/DS)

Determined if certain variations in the format of Inhelder and Piaget's Equilibrium in the Balance task have any effect on how students (175 undergraduate and 32 ninth graders) are classified. Suggests that researchers allow subjects to experiment with the apparatus to insure proper classification of stage of development. (Author/DS)

This study determined if mildly mentally retarded secondary school students could respond to a verbally presented multiple-choice test of social and personal knowledge. Teacher ratings were also obtained. Results supported the use of two- and three-alternative multiple choice tests. (Author/JKS)

Scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) Verbal, Performance, and Full Scales were compared for 26 adolescents with educable mental handicaps. The WAIS-R, while strongly correlated with the WISC-R, provided higher scores on all three scales. Several WISC-R…

The extent to which performance assessments can have unintended and undesirable consequences is not yet clear, but preliminary evidence suggests several issues of bias and fairness. Among these is the sheer difficulty of scoring complex performance assessments, as Vermont's experiences with portfolio assessment illustrate. (SLD)

This analysis of testing as a social institution covers contemporary testing, from tests of integrity, truthfulness, and drug tests (authenticity tests) through tests of achievement, intelligence, and vocational interest (qualifying tests). It is argued that tests both construct social persons and control and dominate them. (SLD)

Effects of altering test difficulty on examinee ability measures and test length in a computer adaptive test were studied for 225 medical technology students in 3 test difficulty conditions. Results suggest that, with an item pool of sufficient depth and breadth, acceptable targeting to test difficulty is possible. (SLD)

The relevance of state results on tests of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is illustrated with data from the "Digest of Education Statistics--1990" (U.S. Department of Education). Evidence indicates that the contributions of state differences such as economic or demographic differences to NAEP results cannot be…

A mail survey about the use of instruments in 9 assessment areas was answered by 389 school psychologists. Comparison with a similar survey 10 years earlier suggests no decline in assessment overall, although emphasis is switching away from intelligence testing, toward achievement testing, behavior rating, and adaptive measurements. (SLD)

Two versions of a criterion-referenced videodisc-based instrument, SHIPS (Self-Help InterPersonal Skills), have been developed for high school students with hearing impairments. Students can choose either American Sign Language or English-based sign versions of assessment items. Field testing found that use of SHIPS enhanced data validity and…

To study whether different forms of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) used since the mid-1970s varied in their correlations with academic performance criteria, 1975 and 1985 forms were administered to 1,554 and 1,753 high school juniors, respectively. The 1975 form did not have greater validity than the 1985 form. (SLD)

Suggests that the claims of advocates of centralized standards and universal testing of schools must be questioned and that alternatives to testing should be considered for the educational output of schools. Argues that supporters have failed to consider the costs of national essay-type tests and the inherent problems of test reliability. (MJP)