This systematic review investigated the topics studied and reporting practices of published meta-analyses in educational measurement. Our findings indicated that meta-analysis is not a highly utilized methodological tool in educational measurement; on average, less than one meta-analysis has been published per year over the past 30 years (28…

An effect size of about 0.70 (or 0.40-0.70) is often claimed for the efficacy of formative assessment, but is not supported by the existing research base. More than 300 studies that appeared to address the efficacy of formative assessment in grades K-12 were reviewed. Many of the studies had severely flawed research designs yielding…

During a 28-month period beginning in January 1988, the ERIC Clearinghouse on Tests, Measurement, and Evaluation (ERIC/TM) selected documents submitted by over 800 organizations for entry into the ERIC database. Twenty-three organizations, which submitted 595 (31 percent) of the 1,904 documents accepted by ERIC/TM during that period, are…

In most large-scale assessments of student achievement, several broad content domains are tested. Because more items are needed to cover the content domains than can be presented in the limited testing time to each individual student, multiple test forms or booklets are utilized to distribute the items to the students. The construction of an…

In many school districts, the pressure to raise test scores has created overnight celebrity status for formative assessment. Its powers to raise student achievement have been touted, however, without attending to the research on which these claims were based. Sociocultural learning theory provides theoretical grounding for understanding how…

Factors that contribute to the performance gap between subgroups and mainstream students deserve special attention. Different subgroups are faced with different sets of challenges. To understand and control for factors leading to the performance gap between subgroups and mainstream students one must clearly understand the issues specific to each…

Characteristics/roles of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) were compared to those of other, similar professional organizations, using data from 24 completed informal surveys. The other organizations include American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and Association for Measurement and…

Reviews the status of classroom assessment, focusing on the review of four key research summaries that describe the dismal state of classroom assessment in the past century. Cites four important developments as reasons for optimism about the future of classroom assessment and details a five-part action plan for achieving the untapped potential of…

The instructional impact of criterion-referenced testing during the past three decades is reviewed, and a method of devising criterion-referenced tests is suggested that departs from the usual model. Adding verification along the lines of panel review that newly constructed test items do elicit appropriate information is suggested. (SLD)

The history of educational assessment and research in Czechoslovakia and changes in attitudes toward educational testing are reviewed. The current status of educational assessment is evaluated and found wanting. A plan is proposed to resuscitate educational testing in Czechoslovakia in spite of the current economic and political problems. (SLD)

Reviewing evidence from high school completion and dropout rates, college attendance, test scores, and international comparisons leads to the conclusion that U.S. schools do a pretty good job of teaching students who are ready to learn. Given what schools have to contend with, their performance is indeed impressive. (SLD)

Activities of the new ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation (ERIC/AE) are described, and planned activities and services are reviewed. ERIC/AE gathers information pertaining to assessment, evaluation, and learning theory; and it makes that information available to a number of audiences through print and electronic media. (SLD)