Examines the extent and nature of America's need to know whether the nation's educational outlook is improving, considers the contributions of the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the National Assessment of Educational Progress to the information effort, and proposes a more effective testing system to be administered by the Census Bureau. (PGD)

Questions the credibility of the Diagnostic Spelling Potential Test. (FL)

Provides an overview of the probable role of assessment in the improvement of elementary and secondary education. (Author)

In light of the continuing debate over the relative merits of various ways of assessing student achievement, it seems appropriate to examine longitudinal data which reflect student performance on one measure as a basis for recognizing and utilizing the measure's particular strengths. This study is the follow-up to an earlier study conducted using…

The assessment of student achievement in mathematics is discussed. Different approaches should be used to ascertain student achievement of objectives in the mathematics curriculum. Some methods are subjective, such as rating scales, and these can be very useful. Among more objective approaches is the use of standardized tests. There is a number of…

Argues that from a black perspective, the real concern is not merely that of defining intelligence, about which there is lacking a consensus among psychologists, but one which challenges the basic scientific considerations of validity, reliability, and standardization of intelligence tests. (Author/JM)

Because of lack of research and too much political gamesmanship, accountability's great promise may never be realized, say the authors. (Editor)

In this paper, an attempt has been made to synthesize some of the current thinking in the area of criterion-referenced testing as well as to provide the beginning of an integration of theory and method for such testing. (Editor)

What should be known about this testing technique - where the tests come from, who uses them, how they use them, and why. (Author)

This article is a reply to a previous paper (see TM 500 488) interpreting Livingston's original article (see TM 500 487). (CK)

Standardized tests are not sufficient to measure the full area of school effectiveness because they encourage the rating of students on a narrow range of capabilities, the emphasis of only one set of educational goals, and the use of a uniform set of teaching methods. (JW)

Proposes a grading system for nursing education, consisting of (1) a within-class component, based on mastery testing and criterion-referenced assessment to develop academic knowledge and clinical skills; and (2) a between-class component, based on norm-referenced assessment to provide a statistically sound class ranking. (SK)

Addresses problems associated with Prediger's article questioning the usefulness and fairness of the unnormed Self-Directed Search (SDS) for females. Discusses issues of sex differences and same-sex test norming. (RC)