Discusses the problems with high-stakes testing using information from two Arizona State University studies that compared academic and vocational student scores on standardized tests. Suggests that there are many questions related to high-stakes testing that need to be answered before too much weight is given to a single test. (JOW)

Investigated examiner errors on 46 protocols completed by certified and/or licensed clinical and school psychologists. Findings showed that nearly 83 percent of the protocols contained at least one error, about one-half containing errors that resulted in an incorrect Mental Processing Composite Global score and/or Achievement Global score.…

Levine's equations for random groups and unequally reliable tests can be used to equate two tests through performance on an anchor test. Levine's assumption of a parallelism requirement is not necessary; it is sufficient to assume only that the tests are congeneric, an assumption implicit in linear test equating. (SLD)

Item-writing considerations in creating instruments using Likert-type scales, according to Michael Busch, include semantics of labeling response choices and number of response categories. Jean Turner discusses problems regarding the use of Likert-scale questionnaires for L2 research, for instance the cultural background of language learners being…

Shortcomings of current testing policies have heightened interest in alternative assessment methods. Authentic assessments truly represent performance, evaluate against openly expressed standards, help students learn to evaluate themselves, and require public presentation and defense of their work. (SK)

Conceptual and technical problems associated with the use of traditional developmental assessments of young children with disabilities are reviewed. The use of principles of intervention design to guide assessment decision making is discussed. Ecobehavioral analysis and naturalistic interventions are described as promising directions for…

Presents critical analysis of a paper "Testing Reading Comprehension Skills, Part One," in which the consideration concerns the inadequacy of taxonomies of skills to describe individual readers' processes and, hence, their usefulness in test construction. (15 references) (GLR)

American testing is primarily controlled by commercial publishers and nonschool agencies that produce norm-referenced, multiple-choice instruments designed to rank students cheaply and efficiently. Such tests are not intended to support instruction. Test scores tied to tracking, grade retention, graduation requirements, and rewards and sanctions…

The EA:es index (part of the Comprehensive Rorschach System) is discussed, demonstrating how conceptual difficulties and abstract jargon can result in misleading and contradictory inferences. The comments of J. E. Exner, Jr., and the response of J. H. Kleiger concern the importance of theory in Rorschach interpretation. (SLD)

Procedures used to ensure compatibility of British teachers' judgments in school-based assessments were examined, revealing conflicts between examining groups and teachers that might have been diminished had procedures been more open to public scrutiny. (SK)

Discusses steps that teachers and concerned parents can take to ensure that their students and children are not overburdened by standardized tests. Examines the significance of standardized tests and considers some alternatives to standardized tests, such as more effective parent-teacher conferences. (MDM)

Maximized correlation as an internal reliability estimate for tests with few items was investigated. An actual sampling distribution of maximum correlation--"r" max--was empirically derived from 100 samples of 50 cases each from Rorschach test data and compared with those of alpha and an odd/even split, using 2,020 Rorschach protocols.…

Discusses the issues surrounding the right to use psychological tests. Examines the American Psychological Association's efforts to restrict test access, the likely impact of restricting use, and the mission of the Fair Access Coalition on Testing, which is devoted to allowing all appropriately trained professionals access to such tests. (RJM)

Describes and evaluates a "controlled assessment procedure" as a holistic approach to avoiding problems of administering and evaluating traditional exams. Key characteristics include: the question is known well in advance and is broad and open-ended, students are encouraged to respond in any self-selected written format, and the rationale and…

Hyperrationalization in educational policy creates problems in the imposition of standards by centralized authorities and pursuit of efficiency through standardized tests, based on the assumption that education can be routinized and mechanized. A humanistic alternative is to make students the focus of educational policy and practice. (Contains 33…