Assessment instruments should be selected on the basis of test design variables (such as date of development and content sequence), test construction variables (including standardization results), examinee-related variables (such as prerequisite skills and vocabulary level), examiner-related variables (including preparation and skills), and…

This article describes the Scale for the Evaluation of Gifted Identification Instruments, developed for use by school decision makers. Development of the scale is reviewed in terms of five areas of assessment: validity, reliability, propriety, respondent appropriateness, and utility. Specific guidelines and cautions in using the scale are also…

The paper looks at purposes of educational assessment of children with learning disabilities, assessment of the whole child, the plan for an assessment battery, the nuances of carrying out the assessment, and communication of the results to maximize appropriate follow up. Assessment purposes identified include screening, determining eligibility,…

Guidelines for test developers and users are provided to insure that construction and selection of test instruments are conducted fairly. In addition to development and selection, issues of interpretation of scores; provision of information to test takers; and prevention of test bias based on race, gender, or ethnicity are addressed. Twenty-one…

The uses, advantages and disadvantages, preparation, and scoring of essay tests and oral tests are outlined and discussed, and sample questions of each type oriented to pharmaceutical instruction are provided. (MSE)

This "toolbox" offers suggestions about how and when to create objective tests. Such tests are sometimes a quick way to find out how students are doing, and sometimes they help students focus on what they are doing in class or help teachers define the content that is worth knowing. The following suggestions are offered for developing objective…

Guidelines for the selection and use of commercially prepared informal reading inventories (IRIs) with deaf students are offered. Modifications for deaf students pertain to: selection of the passage to begin testing, the criteria for oral and silent reading levels, and procedures for estimating students' readng potential levels. (SW)

The purpose of this book is to provide information about the various psychological assessment procedures that are specifically relevant for practicing counselors and human development professionals. The book deals with the use of such tests in the counseling process and includes illustrative case studies. It emphasizes the selection,…

There are a number of issues to consider in choosing tests, including alignment of tests and standards, the integration of tests with curriculum and instruction, the quality of the tests, and a clear definition of the purpose of the test. To address the various needs reflected by these issues, PLATO Learning, Inc., offers two curriculum-wide…

The 15 components used for assessment in an introductory psychology course were examined to determine their relative value as predictors of overall performance. Multiple-choice tests were consistently found to be more effective than essay examinations, but arguments are presented for the retention of essays, with suggestions for their improvement.…

The United States Employment Service is now able to expand the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) coverage from approximately 400 jobs to all candidates for every job in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (over 12,000 occupations). In addition, employers can now receive more useful feedback on applicants. Instead of reporting whether a…

Cognitive learning and cognitive measures are defined and various types of objective measures of cognitive learning are discussed and compared, including short answer test items, true-false items, multiple choice items, matching items, and written simulations. (MSE)

Providers of psychoeducational assessment services for hearing-impaired children, from infants to adolescents, were surveyed concerning their educational and experiential background, communication modes used, problems encountered, and educational placements of assessed children. Frequency of use scores and rankings are reported for psychological…

This summary of assessment information for programming in early childhood special education discusses principles of assessment, specific assessment procedures, and assessment instruments. An overview section on assessment provides definitions of "assessment" and "evaluation" and discusses the importance of assessment for…

This paper provides an overview of standardized tests and a summary of important psychometric and test construction properties that educators must consider when they make critical evaluations of standardized tests. Sections of the paper concern: (1) basic characteristics of standardized tests; (2) differences between norm-referenced and…