To determine whether an "expectation-of-learning" effect was operative in judging a child's phonetic imitation, two techniques for scoring were used to evaluate sequentially one child's phonetic imitations. (Author)

Intended for mental health professionals who evaluate hearing impaired children and adolescents, the paper discusses issues of general concern. Areas touched upon include psychological and sociological effects from the hearing impaired subculture, complicating medical and physical disorders, and modification of assessment devices to remove the…

Measurement problems which jeopardize the reliability and validity of competency-based writing assessments are analyzed. Methods to stabilize rating criteria and readers' application of them are necessary. Most writing assessment programs use guidelines from norm-referenced test methodology. Use of this method of criteria application based on…

All published empirical studies of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII), 1974 thru 1980, are reviewed. While only a few predictive validity studies have been completed, concurrent and construct validity studies are consistently supportive of the validity of the General Occupational Themes, Basic Interest Scales and Occupational Scales.…

The author traces reasons to support his contention that the state of the art in assessing learning disabled students is not good. Among issues examined are the following: use of tests for purposes other than those for which they were intended; technical adequacy of currently used tests (standardization, reliability, validity); the use of deficit…

Teachers and test professionals must work together for responsible measurement in English to take place. Traditionally, they have refused to do so, a situation that has led to serious problems in at least three areas: research in the teaching of writing, classroom practice in teaching revision of writing, and some testing practices by such…

The effects of test anxiety on reading comprehension were studied in two experiments. In the first experiment, 75 college students completed a test anxiety scale and the McGraw-Hill Basic Skills System reading comprehension subtest. The low anxious students in this experiment showed higher reading comprehension than the high anxious students. In…

The first eight chapters of this book introduce the topic of test bias. The basic issues involved in criticisms of mental tests and arguments about test bias include: (1) variety of tests and test items; (2) scaling of scores and the form of the distribution of abilities in the population; (3) quantification of subpopulation differences; (4)…

EDUCATORS POSSESS SPECIAL SERVICE AND INSTRUCTIONAL SKILLS WHICH, IF USED WISELY, CAN ASSIST MINORITY GROUP CHILDREN IN OVERCOMING THEIR EARLY DISADVANTAGES. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS MAY HELP IF THEY ARE CAREFULLY AND INTELLIGENTLY EMPLOYED. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND DIAGNOSTIC SENSITIVITY ARE REQUIRED. STANDARDIZED TESTS CURRENTLY IN USE…

An historical overview is presented of criticisms arising during an early period of large-scale standardized testing in the United States: the post World War II period when the Educational Testing Service was established. Not only is a brief description of the controversy provided, but the fact that many problems of assessment are not transient…

The author stresses that diagnosis is desirable only when it leads to special education intervention. Diagnosis in a service vacuum is seen to be unnecessary and frustrating for parents and teachers of handicapped children. It is also emphasized that assessment of intraindividual differences is more valuable than that of interindividual…

The Unified Science and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) Program was designed to teach students complex problem-solving skills. This paper reports the effects of USMES on basic skills, explains the effects, comments on difficulties in data collection, and recommends data-gathering that should complement or replace standard basic skills…

Two groups of college students participated in test-anxiety reduction programs at a Learning Resource Center. One group (six students) participated in systematic desensitization procedures and the other group (17 students) was exposed to study skills methods of reducing test anxiety. Students in both groups were pretested and posttested with the…

This handbook is developed as a part of Maryland's accountability program and is intended to assure the required uniformity in test administration procedures, security of test materials, and other matters with the aim of establishing an accountability assessment system which is fair to students, staff, schools, and school systems. Special…