The tests we use to evaluate student achievement may well be sound measures of what students know, but they are faulty indicators at best of how well they have been taught. A remedy to this this situation of judging teachers by the performance of their students on high-stakes tests may be in hand already. We should look to the methods successfully…

Discusses the direction large-scale educational testing is heading, pointing out pitfalls in current and future use of such tests. The large-scale assessment community seems to be unconcerned about the central mission of education, the instruction of children. (SLD)

Norm-referenced testing is not appropriate for use in teacher evaluation. A truly equitable method of teacher evaluation is based on a clear set of instructional targets and on the teacher's effectiveness in helping students master the specific skills and knowledge targeted. (Author/MLF)

This book is intended to help parents understand more about the tests their children take in school. The pros and cons of different types of tests are explained, and the proper use of standardized tests is discussed. Each chapter contains a brief summary of the topic, with follow-up activities and a list of resources a parent could bring to the…

Problems in constructing criterion referenced tests related to inadequate technical criteria, and guidelines for their solution are discussed. The need to select a well-defined domain of behaviors is emphasized as the key to test construction and to understanding students' test performance. Considerations must also be given to the most effective…