The validity of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) and problems associated with inappropriate norms were investigated in eleven senior high schools in Phoenix, Arizona. CTBS validity was assessed in three ways: (1) correlation between test scores and number of courses taken in that subject; (2) correlation between CTBS scores and…

Reading instruction is being incorporated as a natural part of the social studies curriculum because of the emphasis which is being placed on basic skills and teacher accountability. In order for long term improvement of reading/social studies skills to occur social studies teachers must develop a systematic and deliberate approach to reading…

Five essays for reading instructors at two-year colleges are provided in this issue of "Forum for Reading." First, Kent Smith notes the increased recruitment of underprepared students and argues that colleges are responsible for assuring that admissions personnel, administrators, and faculty know the types of students they can and cannot…

THE DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF THE MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION (MLA) FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TESTS FOR TEACHERS AND ADVANCED STUDENTS ARE THE SUBJECTS OF THIS FINAL PROJECT REPORT. FOLLOWING AN ACCOUNT OF THE EVENTS THAT LED TO THE AWARDING OF A GOVERNMENT CONTRACT TO MLA TO DEVELOP NATIONALLY STANDARDIZED QUALIFICATION TESTS AND A…

The uses of standardized test results are discussed and various measurement terms are defined. Scores on criterion referenced tests are interpreted by relating performance to some predetermined criterion, whereas scores on norm-referenced tests are interpreted by comparing them with scores obtained by members of the group on which the test was…

Within the context of declining enrollment, this paper considers the questions of economies of scale, cost-quality interrelationships, and rigidities in the Ontario school system. From a survey of the pertinent literature, the author concludes that economies of scale are linked to the level, size, and pupil/teacher ratio of a school and operate…

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…

This volume is a compendium of local level practitioners' papers about testing and evaluation issues in the schools. Excerpts from 13 papers and a summary of the proceedings of a conference sponsored by the National Institute of Education's Testing, Assessment and Evaluation Division are included. Titles of the papers are: (1) Testing Concerns of…

For Title I evaluations, it may be appropriate to test out-of-level; that is, to override publisher's recommendations concerning the difficulty, length, and content appropriate for a particular grade. It is seldom necessary, however, to move more than one grade down. If the mean is substantially higher than the median, then some pupils will have…

This speech deals with the assumptions and approaches underlying educational assessment and suggests alternatives to standardized testing. It is proposed that the assumption that test items can be standardized is at the base of assessment problems; while there are standard mental functions which children develop, there are no standard items that…

Data collected during the standardization of the 1976 Metropolitan Readiness Tests (MRT) were examined to provide information on sex differences in prereading skills. The MRT are designed for administration either at the beginning of kindergarten or between kindergarten and first grade. Performance on the six subtests and the total test on both…

DESIGNED FOR THE PSYCHOLOGIST, THE HANDBOOK DESCRIBES INSTRUMENTS COMMONLY USED FOR INTELLECTUAL EVALUATION OF CHILDREN SUSPECTED OF BEING MENTALLY RETARDED. INFORMATION IS GIVEN CONCERNING DEFIITIONS, IDENTIFICATION, AND CHARACTERISITICS OF MENTAL RETARDATION, TEST SELECTION, AND THE TEST SITUATION. TESTS DESCRIBED AND DISCUSSED INCLUDE…

Five groups of children were tested, and their test performances were compared. Experimental group one (X-1) consisted of 105 children who had attended a yearlong Preschool Readiness Center program. Experimental group two (X-2) consisted of 93 children who had attended a summer Head Start program. Control groups one and two (C-1 and C-2) consisted…

This 3-year study investigated the effectiveness of a 1-year diagnostic preschool curriculum for improving the regular school adjustment and achievement of 142 five-year-old psychosocially disadvantaged Appalachian children. During each year approximately 15 children were placed into either an experimental preschool, a kindergarten contrast, or an…

Major speeches presented at the conference on human and civil rights in education are summarized. Issues discussed at the conference include: the extent to which standardized testing infringes on the rights of students and educators; the existing uses of educational testing in public schools; and ways to eliminate misuses of tests by educators,…