Presents guidelines for developing close translations of tests into other languages, presenting an example that applies these guidelines to translation into Spanish of the Cognitive- Based Literacy Assessment-Revised (CBLA-R) for first and second graders. A case is made that translations which ignore the language systems and culture of limited…

The top-down, heavy-handed "Tougher Standards" movement has taken over many schools, with full support of business groups, politicians, and many journalists. Primary opponents are classroom teachers and parents. Raising standards translates into higher scores on poorly designed tests. Best teaching builds on actively learning students. (MLH)

High-stakes tests can set a clear, challenging hurdle for students and schools, while increasing the numbers of failing kids. Costs and benefits include increased equity, clear and focused curricula, efficient use of resources, achievement-based school personnel evaluations, limited local decision making, narrow curriculum, and favored course…

This paper examines the content of The California Critical Thinking Skills Test (1990). This report is not a statistical review. Instead it brings under scrutiny the content of the exam. This content will be of interest to the general reader, because the issues range from logic to ethics to pedagogy, and to questions of evidential and…

This article describes the translation goals, challenges, strategies, and solutions employed in the development of a computer-based, self administered, psychiatric diagnostic instrument, the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for the Deaf (D-DIS-IV) in American Sign Language (ASL) with English captions. The article analyzes the impact of the…

The aim of this report is to present the findings of the second phase in a longitudinal study of the impact of changes in the TOEFL® test on teaching and learning in test preparation classrooms. The focus of this phase was to monitor six teachers from five countries in Central and Eastern Europe as they received news about changes in the TOEFL and…

The idea that validity should be considered a property of inferences, rather than of assessments, has developed slowly over the past century. In early writings about the validity of educational assessments, validity was defined as a property of an assessment. The most common definition was that an assessment was valid to the extent that it…

This guidebook provides information on how to implement authentic assessment. It presents pertinent information in an easy-to-read format and is intended to be a reference for further resources. Chapter 1 defines relevant terms and compares traditional testing practices with authentic assessment. Specifically, it looks at the differences in…

As the assessments mandated by the British National Curriculum have come into use, teachers have found the core concern to be how to manage the assessment of each student's progress within the framework of the statutory requirements. This book focuses on the assessment of students of ethnic minority backgrounds and presents a collection of…

In the summer of 1996, the U.S. Armed Services will implement the computerized adaptive testing version of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (CAT-ASVAB). When conversion is completed at the 65 targeted military entrance processing stations, about half the applicants will take this test version. This paper describes the efforts that…

Assessment of student progress is a challenge for educators who use developmentally appropriate practices such as multiage grouping. Interest in alternative types of assessment has become widespread. These performance-based, or authentic, assessments are explored in this document, which presents assessment strategies that work effectively with…

This report presents a compendium of approaches to the inclusion of students with disabilities or of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in large-scale assessments such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) or state assessment programs. Chapter 1 presents an overview and lists organizations involved in this effort. Chapters 2 and…

This brochure offers a plan to help college students study for tests. It explains how to prepare for a test and reviews techniques for taking multiple choice, essay, and other types of examinations. Organization, planning, and time management are essential for becoming a successful student. Regular reviews are the key to reducing test anxiety and…

The strengths and weaknesses of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are discussed. The NAEP estimates the number of students who are more likely to do certain problems correctly than other students. NAEP reports the numbers, briefly describes the problems, and says that more students need to do these problems correctly. The…

At the present time the American educational system seems caught in a squeeze play between the historical need for tests that are simple to administer and understand versus the current demand for tests that are respected as thorough measures of the kind of learning needed in a competitive and changing world. Many of the misuses of test data arise…