Summarizes the views of two teachers who hold widely divergent views on what can be called classical examination methods - essay papers and objective exams. One of these authors is an Englishman, the other an American, but their views, while obviously conditioned by training, are shared or questioned by many colleagues regardless of national…

Minimum Competency Testing for high school students is discussed with regard to its development, use, potential, and administration. Various suggestions are presented to help teachers and administrators use the test results more effectively and minimize student and parental fears that low test scores will constitute a barrier to a high school…

The article contrasts North American and Soviet views and approaches to student evaluations, especially in the area of testing differences in academic achievement. It provides a brief summary of Soviet schooling and evaluative procedures. (Author/SB)

Describes results of research by the Test User Qualifications Working Group that can be applied to improving testing practices, including 86 test use competencies and 7 factors accounting for misuse; a test classification system; and empirically based test purchaser qualification forms. (SLD)

This article invokes a literal image of test givers as measurement devices and explores the psychometric properties of these test administrator instruments. Concurrent and content validation and test-retest and parallel-forms validity are explored. (SLD)

Considers how in these times of increased focus on standards and accountability, it is important to understand the views of the various participants. Begins with a brief history of the testing movement in Texas. Reports findings from a study on the negative effects of high stakes testing. Concludes with suggestions to minimize these effects on…

Discusses the direction large-scale educational testing is heading, pointing out pitfalls in current and future use of such tests. The large-scale assessment community seems to be unconcerned about the central mission of education, the instruction of children. (SLD)

One promising application of diagnostic classification models (DCM) is in the area of cognitive diagnostic assessment in education. However, the successful application of DCM in educational testing will likely come with a price--and this price may be in the form of new test development procedures and practices required to yield data that satisfy…

This publication presents assessments of trends in the educational achievement of elementary and secondary school students. In light of the heightened reliance on achievement tests a careful appraisal of recent trends in scores has important ramifications for educational policy. This study assesses test score trends and offers some insights on the…

A cognitive process approach is applied to this discussion of the nature and relationship of skills, thinking, and social studies knowledge. To make understanding explicit, the paper addresses: (1) the meaning of cognitive skills and their role in thinking; (2) generic versus specific skills; and (3) implications for the National Assessment of…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has the potential to become a national data system and to meet the rapidly expanding needs for educational information. Historically, NAEP has had the objectives of providing relevant information for federal, state, and local policymakers; establishing a research database; and monitoring…

A number of challenges will be faced by the school testing community in the future. The content of achievement tests must match the curriculum, which changes its focus over the years. Test content should reflect expanding curriculum areas such as computer literacy, consumer skills, and critical thinking. Test publishers will provide data for…

This report provides an overview of the current applications of computer technology to construct test items and/or to formulate tests according to sound measurement principles. The test items may be computer-generated from strategies programmed by test constructors, or pre-constructed by item writers and stored in computer memory. The tests…