Although the New York State reading assessment was aimed at identifying children with extra educational needs, one study shows that the current high-stakes nature of the tests has distorted that intent. Rather than rewarding instructional quality, state accountability profiles often reward questionable instructional practices such as retention in…

Characterizing this special "Kappan" section on test-based accountability as a cautionary plea, this article sees five themes: tests seldom measure what matters; standardization gets confused with standards; tests constitute a limited reform lever; test-based accountability plans often misplace trust and protection; and the…

Explains why it is so difficult to define communicative testing, discusses problems related to communicative testing, and concludes with suggestions for further research. (15 references) (CFM)

Extensions of unidimensional appropriateness indices are developed for multiunidimensional tests (multidimensional tests composed of unidimensional subtests). Simulated and real data (scores of 2,978 students on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) were used to evaluate the indices' effectiveness in determining individuals who are…

A culture-specific approach to identifying artistic talent in African-American students is presented, called Tactuality. Tactuality identifies four characteristics: emotional intensity, flexibility and open-endedness, holistic perception, and tactile sensitivity. A pilot test with 63 fourth graders resulted in statistical problems with validation.…

Emphasizes the value of national standardized testing, discussing five issues: nobody is accountable for education results if there is no clarity about requirements; nobody likes today's tests; the entire nation is at risk; parents need reliable measures of children's success; and other countries with successful education systems have national…

After a mailed questionnaire and two follow-ups, hard-core survey nonrespondents were contacted to ask why they had not responded and what they would have answered had they responded. Results from 28 subjects indicate that efforts to pursue nonrespondents may be unnecessary, because bias resulting from nonresponse appeared minimal. (SLD)

Some cautions are sounded for converting a linearly administered test to an adaptive format. Four areas are identified in which practices broadly used in traditionally constructed tests can have adverse effects if thoughtlessly adopted when a test is administered in an adaptive mode. (SLD)

Students in 1,905 classes, including 216 business, evaluated teachers using Instructional Development and Effectiveness Assessment (IDEA). Students' initial interest in courses related to ratings. IDEA confounded course-related and instructor-related interest. Accurate assessment of students' initial interest appears important to fair evaluation…

Just as testing generally is not the answer to the multifaceted problems facing contemporary American education, performance assessment is no panacea. Before embracing this new evaluation method, educators should assess the movement's claims, costs, and characteristics. At present, both goals and costs are uncertain. (30 references) (MLH)

Educational Testing Service's (ETS) international testing of student achievement (1988) was supported by politicians seeking simple answers, but results were badly flawed and pointless. ETS emphasized global comparisons among countries on a single achievement scale, using an arbitrary formula heavily weighted toward computation; actual questions…

Governor Jeb Bush and a Republican-dominated legislature have legislated a sweeping revision of the Florida education code that could qualify 150,000 of the state's 2.3 million public-school students for vouchers. A convenient diversion from true school reform, Bush's Opportunity Scholarship Program will be judged unconstitutional. (MLH)

A survey of 429 general dentists attempted to verify anecdotal reports of ethical lapses in clinical dental licensing examinations. It found significant occurrence of not arranging followup care for the patient even though indicated, intentional creation of lesions, premature treatment for the purpose of the examinations, coercing patients into…

Suggests that ELLA (English Language and Literacy Assessment ) implemented in New South Wales, Australia, fails four tests for sound diagnostic assessment set out in a standard reference (K.W. Howell et al. "Curriculum Based Evaluation")--tests for logicality, reliability, validity, and accuracy and practicality. (RS)

Claims that arguments about the invalidity, purposelessness, and misleading nature of ELLA (English Language and Literacy Assessment ) implemented in New South Wales, Australia, remain intact despite attempts to counter the arguments. Presents a detailed critique of arguments presented in an article in the previous of this journal supporting ELLA.…