Describes an attempt to construct an ESL dictation test that would: (1) be appropriate for a wide range of ability, (2) be easy and fast to score, (3) consist of set items that would form both a unidimensional and cumulative scale, and (4) yield scores that would be directly interpretable with respect to specified levels of English proficiency.…

The paper presents 12 steps in developing and validating criterion referenced tests (CRTs). The author emphasizes the need to closely examine the test's stated purpose and trace the test through the 12 steps in order to find CRTs that are useful rather than useless. Examples are given for each step: preparing or selecting objectives; developing…

Guidelines for evaluating criterion-referenced tests and test manuals are proposed and applied to a sample of popular commercially published tests. The well-known Test Standards published by a joint committee of professional societies is helpful, though not completely applicable, and was used together with other sources in the preparation of an…

Reviews materials from Multiscore, a criterion-referenced testing service which produces tests tailored to particular schools or districts from its item bank of more than 20,000 multiple-choice items. Discusses technical considerations, use of Multiscore in local school districts, and evaluation and conclusions. (SR)

A systematic approach for assessing language competencies of bilingual students is developed. Two issues are clarified. First, the issue of examining separately the four language skills is looked at, as well as the need to consider other related factors including cognitive functions operative in language processing, affective forces, and…

To address the issues associated with testing standards, sets of context-setting variables and technical matters associated with standard-setting are presented to assist groups or committees desiring to set standards in a systematic way. (Author/CM)

This booklet is intended to help school personnel, parents, students, and members of the community understand concepts and research relating to achievement testing in public schools. The paper's sections include: (1) test use with direct effects on students (test of certification, selection, and placement); (2) test use with indirect effects on…

Standards for evaluating criterion-referenced tests are presented. Twenty-one standards, grouped in three categories, are discussed. Category one is defined as measurement properties and is comprised of conceptual validity, including description of the domain, test item agreement with objectives, and item representativeness of the objectives; and…

Because testing, in many different forms, currently plays such an important role in education, Elementary Secondary Education Act, Title I, the Division of Federal Assistance in the Vermont State Department of Education, prepared this brochure to present a general introduction to terms and phrases commonly used in testing and to highlight some of…

This booklet is planned to help teachers, parents, students, and community members to understand concepts and research relating to testing in public schools. Three general uses--public access, accountability, and standards--relate to testing in its broadest conception. The major purposes of tests are discussed, as are some different types of…

The 1975 Community/Junior College Conference sought to define and describe evaluation, discuss measuring devices, and underscore the ethical reasons for fair evaluation. William P. Gorth began by discussing the purpose of evaluation--to provide data to a specified decision-maker for decision-making--and the implications which could be drawn from…

Designed for directors and staff members in bilingual vocational instructor training programs to be funded by the United States Department of Education, this monograph is a guide to competencies needed by bilingual vocational instructors. Chapter l discusses the project which developed the monograph. Chapter 2, Using the Monograph in Bilingual…

This book is designed to help K-12 teachers and administrators understand the nature of standardized tests and, in particular, the scores that result from them. This useful manual helps teachers develop the skills necessary to incorporate these test scores into various types of instructional decision making--a process known as "data-driven…

A detailed and condensed discussion describes the process of test item preparation in general, with special application to the measurement of learning in occupational education. Because the Instructional Support System Occupational Education (ISSOE) has as a policy a emphasis on input from teachers, these guidelines have been prepared to assist…

This guide is designed to help parents gain a better understanding of testing and its role in the education of their children. It answers the following questions: (1) What are standardized tests? (2) What do standardized test scores tell me about my child? (3) How are standardized test scores used? (4) What are the limitations of standardized…