Three students' concerns about testing range from the conditions under which tests are taken to what tests actually measure, to the personal sacrifices high school students must make to take nationally administered examinations. (Author/CM)

Asserts that failure to consider carefully the purposes and uses to which standardized tests are put can place barriers in the way of equal educational opportunities for minority students. Proposes six precautions for ensuring that standardized tests can be used without endangering equal educational opportunities. (PGD)

Argues that giving students a reading test that is above or below their levels of achievement will yield inaccurate information. (FL)

Argues that the results of College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests, nationally recognized, high-quality examinations conventionally used to award college credits, should be included in students' grade point averages. This would provide important information to graduate schools. Regents College (New York) has adopted a procedure for…

A framework is presented for implementing standardized achievement testing. Fundamental concepts and formats of the tests are reviewed, and useful references are listed. Standardized tests are considered and categorized in terms of administration format, functions, validity, and type (cognitive versus noncognitive). Thirteen basic recommendations…

Summarizes educators' and researchers' concerns regarding the use and misuse of standardized reading tests. Suggests a different model for reading assessment. (RS)

Two differing opinions about the value of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in college admissions address these topics: over-reliance on the test as a predictor of student success; omission of some students' scores from institutional profiles; effects of abolition of the test; and admissions officer understanding of psychometrics. (Author/MSE)

Reviews Leo Goldman's (1972) assertion of failed relationship between tests and counseling. Reviews seven suggestions made by Goldman to remedy situation and considers how they have affected the relationship between tests and counseling. Concludes that relationship remains intact, chiefly in the field of career counseling. (NB)

Responds to Goldman's (1972) article asserting failed relationship between tests and counseling. Describes basis for renewed relationship between tests and career counseling. Reviews reasons Goldman cited for failed testing-counseling relationship, then focuses on two of Goldman's major themes: problems with selection-oriented, prediction models…

A study was conducted of the public's interest in standardized student testing by reviewing the test-related sections of about 70 polls and surveys of public opinion. In general, the public favors more testing with higher stakes, perhaps because they consider testing in the context of real alternatives and find it best. (SLD)

Traces the history of standardized testing in the United States and reviews the differing views of testing advanced over the years. Illustrates some controversies and pendulum swings evident in two test uses, grade-to-grade promotion and college admissions. (SLD)

When used appropriately, standardized assessments can assist education reform by tracking individual or group progress and achievement levels and indicating college readiness. Credibility and validity can be improved by preventing student exclusions, using multiple indicators, stressing year-to-year performance, monitoring consequences, and…

Describes three areas in which the graduate community is vulnerable to substandard practice when using Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores in decision processes: percentile versus raw scores, cut-off scores, and summed scores. Asserts that the graduate community is generally unaware that raw scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical…

Growth in Test of Cognitive Skills (TCS) scores and Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) reading, math, and total achievement scores from 3rd to 10th grade was studied in 328 public school students in a middle-class suburban community. Surprisingly, groups differing in ability and achievement in 3rd grade made parallel progress over time,…

This article reports on how an incorrectly graded licensing exam for prospective teachers has stalled hiring in some places, sent school districts rummaging through employment records, and spawned at least one lawsuit so far. Those affected by the mistake range from 35 test-takers in Georgia to roughly 1200 in Ohio. Eighteen states use the Praxis…