Great teachers recognize great assessments. As policy and education leaders work to make sure state tests are measuring the problem-solving, writing, and critical-thinking skills students need for success, they should convene and rely on teachers to review test quality and help answer the question: Do the questions on our state test reflect…

This study compares test battery results through carefully planned analysis of actual Title I evaluation data. The goal of the study is to derive practical recommendations regarding the results of commonly used test batteries which would be helpful at the local level. A criticism of the comparability assumption underlying the Title I evaluation…

The merits and disadvantages of standardized and informal reading tests for limited English proficient readers are discussed. A growing reliance on standardized ("formal") tests due to their ease of administration and scoring is criticized because the tests are seen as: inadequate for describing students at high and low ends of the scale; not…

Comparison of college freshman performance on two different forms of the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (n=684, 692) found a lack of equivalence between forms and low internal consistency reliability. It is suggested that, although the test may be useful for research, it is not appropriate for decision making about individual students.…

The annual student performance information released in Indiana reports information on many different criteria and treats the data as if all comparisons should be the same. However, Indiana needs to set performance expectations that require all, not just some, students to improve. The Indiana Statewide Test of Educational Proficiencies Plus…

The state-by-state comparisons of results on the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) present the literacy community with some good news and a bit of a puzzle: scores have improved, but the results cannot provide answers as to why one grade or state is doing better or worse than in the past. State-by-state results show that…

The first administration of the newly revised Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT--formerly the Scholastic Aptitude Test) was in March 1994. This article looks at the historical background of the College Board's testing program, compares the formats of the new and old versions, and discusses implications for college-bound students and admissions…

Discusses the tension between testing and literacy education, the deleterious influences of testing on the curriculum, and the lack of a firm relationship between improved test scores and improved educational experiences for students. Presents two alternative systems for evaluation of writing skills at the local and state level. Demonstrates the…

A survey of 105 institutions concerning their use of 3 standardized English tests with foreign graduate students investigated the differences in use and variance among test scores established by different institutions. Overall, results indicate the language proficiency of international graduate students is not examined very carefully before…

This study was designed to collect and then to compare various educators' perceptions (N=484) of the effectiveness of selected standardized testing program management practices in their schools. It was found that these educators perceived their schools' performance of testing-related practices to be more effective than the schools' overall…

This report presents findings from Alpha, one of four school districts examined in a series of case studies that investigated the complex relationship between reading assessment and instruction. The research was situated in the context of school decision making. Teachers, principals, parents, students, and central office staff were interviewed to…

Although minimum competency testing is increasingly popular, there is presently a paucity of information on teachers' and principals' use of and attitudes toward these testing programs. Therefore, a study examined the use and perceived impact of standardized reading tests in Puerto Rico and compared these results to the results of a similar study…

Attitudes and beliefs about the admissions process, especially the role of standardized testing in admissions, were examined for students who took a standardized admissions test more than once. Their attitudes were compared with those of students who did not repeat the test. About 200 preveterinary students who had taken the Veterinary Aptitude…

A study investigated performance of 51 second-year internal medicine residents on an objective structured clinical examination and analyzed the test's role in evaluating clinical competence. The examination included nine physical diagnoses and several test-interpretation stations. Performance was analyzed statistically and correlated with…

Studies of teacher use of tests suggest that classroom tests are widely used and standardized test results are rarely used. Previous comparisons of preservice and inservice teachers' attitudes toward assessment suggest few differences. Differences in opinions about the use of classroom and standardized tests were assessed via surveys of three…