A basic consideration in conducting a career education needs assessment is whether to select published tests or to develop new instruments and evaluation techniques. Advantages of published tests are availability and convenience and ease to use. Advantages in using self-developed measures can be seen by examining a needs assessment study in which…

The article presents guidelines for transforming information from conventional testing into data useful in classroom instruction of exceptional students. Steps are described first for converting a norm referenced test to instructionally relevant information, and second, for applying, rescoring, and summarizing results of the criterion referenced…

Interpretation of the 1981 British Education Act regarding assessment of special needs of students focuses on classroom utility, its ongoing nature, need for parent and student involvement, and the centrality of the teacher's role. The value of normative and criterion referenced tests, diagnostic attainments tests, and observations is considered.…

This step-by-step guide provides a clear and concise reference for those who want to understand and use the Rorschach inkblot test with confidence. The book reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the Rorschach, and offers advice on its clinical applications, with emphasis on the evaluation of adult personality. The chapters are: (1)…

Almost every state has in place a state assessment and accountability system. These systems vary greatly in their characteristics but share a common global purpose of improving teaching and learning. Some of the variations in the state systems are discussed and illustrated with examples from selected states. Issues that are critical to the value…

The standards outlined in this book have been developed to provide criteria for the evaluation of tests, testing practices, and the effects of test use. The "Standards" provides a frame of reference to ensure that relevant issues are addressed. The first part of the book, "Test Construction, Evaluation, and Documentation,"…

The feasibility and efficacy of using self-report response methods with an In-Basket exercise were evaluated in two studies involving 258 managers and 55 college students, respectively. Results suggest that high face validity of the In-Basket exercise can be combined with the scoring ease and objectivity of self-reports. (SLD)

Studied evaluation practices and the attitudes of teachers in the Netherlands toward these practices through a survey of 617 teachers and 214 principals. Findings show assessment routines to be strongly domain-dependent. Teachers have a preference for curriculum-embedded tests and the grading of work sheets above norm-referenced tests. Overall,…

Responds to five major articles by Duckworth, Goldman, Healy, Sampson, and Goodyear on issues pertaining to testing and assessment in counseling psychology. Suggests that the interactive, collaborative aspects of the assessment relationship between psychologist and client need more attention. (TE)

Describes the Child Abuse Potential Inventory and associated psychometric data. Discusses uses and misuses of the inventory, general test limitations, and screening instruments available to professionals concerned with child maltreatment. (RJC)

Methods of adjusting group differences in assessment and test scores are described, classified, and evaluated. Investigation of the relationship between intended use of test scores and the appropriate meaning of scores is essential for fair treatment in assessment. (SLD)

Reports on the work of the International Language Testing Association's (ILTA) Task Force on Testing Standards, which has compiled 109 bibliographic records from 24 countries on existing standards documents and solicits feedback for the development of an ILTA code of practice. (MDM)

Summarizes article written in 1972 which concluded that most counselors were not using standardized tests well, because of intrinsic limitations of the tests and insufficient technical competence among counselors. Discusses methods to remedy situation that could be taken by both test developers and counselors. (NB)

Describes the implementation plans, experience, and results of incorporating performance measurement into the accreditation process of the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Traces the evolution of standardized core measures known to be valid and reliable, noting political and technical problems in measure…

A note from the Working Group of the Joint Committee on Testing Practices: The "Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education (Code)" prepared by the Joint Committee on Testing Practices (JCTP) has just been revised for the first time since its initial introduction in 1988. The revision of the Code was inspired primarily by the revision of…