The uses and applications of testing in education and the implications of the Bakke decision are considered. Pluralism and diversity in education have convinced many observers that a different philosophy or theory of testing is needed. Alternative uses are sought in ways that would shift the aptitudes and general intelligence to skills and…

As a result of the increasing insistence that schools should concentrate on teaching basic skills, states and school districts have moved to establish minimum competencies for high school graduation, to be assessed by tests that demonstrate that students have achieved a certain level of mastery of basic skills. The Austin, Texas, Independent…

Discusses the movement toward authentic assessment, also called direct or performance assessment, as an alternative to multiple-choice, standardized, norm-referenced testing. Authentic testing involves assessment tasks that are real instances of extended criterion performances rather than proxies of actual learning goals. Questions use of…

Standards-based assessment is the student evaluation method favored by the National Qualifications Framework developed by the New Zealand National Qualifications Authority. Before determining an assessment method, definitions of key terms and concepts such as assessment, validity, and reliability must be determined. Good assessments are developed…

This document expands upon the discussion of standardized tests in federal legislation and Department of Education rules and regulations, in order to guide practitioners in using these tests and alternative assessment methods more wisely. Amendments of 1988 that address the uses of standardized tests, the federal regulations that implement the…