Chicano and Amerindian vocabulary scale responses from the Stanford-Binet (LM) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children were item-analyzed for 1,009 subjects. The response patterns differed both by ethnic group and test, as well as by age. The most common, and recurring, pattern found was "level-of-difficulty" gradient…

In this paper, the author reviews a number of criticisms that have been made of the use of standardized tests in the social studies and reviews 11 general, skills, and discipline-oriented standardized tests for social studies. Standardized tests evaluating the results of the new social studies courses are open to criticism on the basis of…

Data available from the Fall and Spring administration of the Stanford Achievement Test: Intermediate I: Form X and the Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test for all Title I pupils in the State of New Hampshire plus a random sample for the entire state, made possible the item-by-item comparison of Fall and Spring performance on the same groups of…

Controversies centering around the accuracy of the estimates made of bilingual children's intellectual functioning and the effectiveness of prescriptive programs recommended for their subsequent development have resulted in the investigation and assessment of different instruments used for student placement in special education classes. The three…

Specifying the purpose and uses to be made of a test prior to administration is of paramount importance when one considers the time administrators and teachers spend on selecting, developing, administering and scoring tests and the amount of student time required to complete the tests. Determination of how test results will be used should be made…

Test publishers and the users of standardized IQ and summary-score achievement tests have failed to consider the problems associated with testing the minority child. Since the results of these tests are used to determine the education, economic, and social future of children, a harder look at the minority child's cultural background is essential.…

New legislation on education, introduced in Brazil from 1968 to 1971, addresses university entrance requirements and exam characteristics by calling for centralization of exam preparation, examinee registration, test administration, test scoring and result reporting, and the use of objective tests. The Brazilian educational structure has three…

Two models were identified for criterion-referenced tests, one based on the assumption of a continuous achievement variable and the other assuming a dichotomous or binary variable. Several test characteristics were examined and contrasted for the two models, including the distribution of scores, establishment of a cutting score, test length, item…

One of the many criticisms leveled at standardized testing is that the time limits commonly used require a speed component of performance which may act to the disadvantaged of certain culturally defined groups. Recent studies by the authors examined the question of differential time limits and group performance for standardized academic aptitude…

The nineteenth annual Western Regional Conference on Testing Problems focused on the evaluation of special educational strategies, particularly as they relate to problems of testing and measurement. "Better District Achievement Testing: Its Role" provides suggestions for the improvement of public school district testing programs.…

The content of this book is embedded in two historical frameworks. The first is the history of American education in which the basic underlying premise is that education is a means of achieving equality in our society. The other is the development of educational research in the United States which was founded on a deep conviction that one could…

The ability of bilingual students to profit educationally when Spanish is the vehicle of instruction was inferred from a qualitative analysis of their responses to matched Spanish-English vocabulary tests. The responses of 53 bilingual junior high school students with strong Spanish language histories were classified as qualitatively higher or…

Returns from the Survey of Testing questionnaire, which was mailed to each testing director in the Great Cities Program, are summarized. The Survey includes: 1) information concerning test standardization; 2) information concerning the use of test results; 3) all tests currently used in the Great City Schools. (MS)

This handbook was designed to assist practicing vocational educators in planning and preparing performance measures for evaluating the behavioral outcomes of instruction. It is particularly concerned with fulfilling the needs of individuals involved in manpower development and training programs. The nature of and need for performance testing is…

The conference theme was "The Promise and Perils of Educational Information Systems," defined as collections of test data on knowledges, skills, interests, and attitudes maintained for the purpose of educational decision making. Topics covered were: "Longer Education: Thinner, Broader, or Higher" (Fritz Machlup); "Testing:…