Describes a study of the influence of wording changes in essay questions on test performance. Results did not support the hypothesis that such changes would affect writer performance. (HTH)

The author discusses the complex nature of assessing bilingual special education students, recommends a textbook on the topic, notes the contributions of J. Mercer's System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment, and cites the need for special educators to focus on the issue. (CL)

Cloze-based evaluations of reading comprehension present room for a greater amount of subjectivity in rating reader response. A study was designed to ascertain the nature of potential subjectivity within a single-rater's ratings of cloze-based assessments of reading comprehension. (DF)

A mathematics item on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was found to be faulty and received wide publicity. A detailed investigation into its mathematical and psychometric properties is presented. It was found that the problem could be considered ambiguous but that almost no one noticed the ambiguity. (Author/JKS)

The uses of a well-made standardized test are identified: as an assessment tool to help students identify their strengths, to improve learning programs, to help colleges select students, to gauge the learning of academic skills, and as an early warning system. (MLW)

A systematic method for compromise between absolute and relative examination standards is proposed. The passing score is assumed to be related to expected pass rate through a simple linear function. Results define a function relating the percentage of successful candidates given a specified passing score to the passing score. (Author/DWH)

Estimation techniques for generating the covariance matrix for two new tests and an existing test without the necessity of any examinee having to take two complete tests is presented. An application of these techniques to linear, observed-score, test equating is presented. (Author/JKS)

Three types of test bias are discussed: content bias, atmosphere bias, and use bias. Use bias is considered the most important. Tests reflect the bias in society, and eliminating test bias means eliminating racism and sexism in society. A six-stage model to eliminate racism and sexism is presented. (Author)

This study assessed the comparative effectiveness of cognitive, arousal reduction, and combined cognitive and arousal reduction treatments for test anxiety. Results indicated cognitive therapy was more effective in reducing anxiety in the analogue testing situation and improving grade point average than other treatment and control procedures.…

This book explores the serious destructive consequences of today's testing programs using actual test items to show what tests really measure and why they should not be used to evaluate school quality or teacher ability. The book also proposes more meaningful ways to assess students and to meet the call for accountability in education. The…

This report addresses challenges associated with the reporting of test scores of students with disabilities participating in alternate assessments. It summarizes six models currently under construction or already being used by states. Using proficiency levels as a common reporting approach, the six models are: (1) same proficiency levels for…

High stakes testing is a given in many public school districts in the United States. This paper reports the chilling effect high stakes testing had on the pedagogy of one teacher. The study took place in a large Midwestern urban district where a university consultant observed a fifth-grade classroom. This researcher was able to observe and…

Discusses the role of examinations in teaching biology. Comments on the aims of examinations, essay questions, scientific writing, testing for comprehension of practical problems, problems and judgments, statistical skills, practical examinations, and the general problems of examining. (JR)

Using data from a study of Black adolescents, the empirical implications were examined of five models which reflected common notions concerning the social influence process assumed to characterize the student-teaching role relationships. Results cast doubt on previous interpretations made in the literature. (Author/KM)

Reports a study which investigated the influence of the variables of race (examiner and child race) and expectancy (high and low expectancy) upon the scoring of individual IQ tests. (Author/JM)