Simultaneous with a call for standardized assessments to assess developing rather than preexisting or surface knowledge (Sawyer, 2006) has been a growth in awareness of the unavoidable interactive nature of any form of assessment and this awareness has created a social turn towards approaches to language assessment (McNamara & Roever, 2006).…

This study investigates what grade-3 teachers say they would do if faced with common test administration dilemmas--and why. Grade-3 teachers with experience administering Ontario's provincially mandated assessment were recruited through professional association newsletters and Toronto-area newspapers. They responded to an on-line questionnaire (n…

Education reformers have been concerned that U.S. schools are not helping to develop in their students critical thinking or reasonable, reflective thinking about what to do or believe. Because of the significant role standardized tests play in measuring student progress, and the way in which they may influence the content and dissemination of what…

Two specific questions related to the impact of test preparation materials on test validity were addressed: how extensively test preparation materials are being used; and which materials are being used. Four stratified random samples were drawn from four geographical regions. The 564 subjects in each sample included: (1) school superintendents;…

To meet several pre-evaluation goals of the national Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA) Evaluation study, the following activities that were undertaken are described: selection of an achievement measure; a pretest of this measure to assess student needs in schools eligible to receive funds under the Act (schools with a minority enrollment of 50…

As the country began to debate the proposition that the United States adopt a national examination system, it became apparent that information was needed about the present extent and cost of testing, as well as the estimated cost of a national examination system. In the fall of 1991, the General Accounting Office (GAO) surveyed testing officials…

The effects of standardized testing on instruction were studied in two school districts with high-stakes testing. The present study was part of a larger research project concerned with the effect of testing on instruction and student learning. A total of 360 teachers in grades 3, 5, and 6 in approximately 100 schools in two districts answered a…

Test-taking differences between the sexes on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) were studied to determine if girls and boys, both white and African American, had different problem-solving styles that affected their ability to respond correctly on the test. Two studies are described. The first study, "An Investigation of the Performance…

This book provides information on the assessment of students with disabilities. It is divided into six major parts. Part 1, "Introduction to Assessment: Issues and Concerns," discusses the historical, philosophical, and legal foundations of assessment, introduces psychological assessments, and proposes an assessment model. Part 2, "Informal…