Addresses the issue of counselor expertise in test interpretation. Discusses norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced interpretation, interpreting the precision of the information, interpreting the meaning of the construct and its relevance to the decision, and general precautions regarding test interpretation. (LLL)

This paper reviews some of the suggested indices of learning and of the problems inherent in gain measures. It then discusses the relevance of criterion-referenced testing and of operationally-defined testing to the measurement of achievement. (Editor)

Based on the seminal work of Emmy Werner (1990), practitioners have recognized the powerful role protective and risk factors play in the development of children's emotional and behavioral adjustment. Researchers have concluded that differences in children's reactions to difficult events are influenced by the type and level of protective factors in…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of classroom performance assessment on the EFL students' basic and inferential reading skills. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was employed in the study. The subjects of the study consisted of 64 first-year secondary school students in Menouf Secondary School for Boys at Menoufya…

The teacher's task of assigning letter grades to students and the public's interpretation of them can be perplexing. Does the student's grade represent the level of achievement, the gain in achievement, or some combination of the two? Is the student's effort included in the grade, or are high achievers given good marks regardless of effort? Are…

The current popularity of criterion-referencing has been demonstrated in attacks on standardized tests and the increasing use of criterion-referenced instruments in state assessments. Much of the advocacy of the criterion-referenced test, however, seems to be less an illustration of that test's merits than an attack on the supposed deficiencies of…

This response to the Baglin paper (1986) points out the fallacy in inferring that inappropriate scaling procedures cause apparent discrepancies between medians and means and between means calculated using different units. (LMO)

Includes two articles regarding scoring for Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory scales. Comments on the advisability of utilizing normalized T scores (Hsu), and addresses these objections from a theoretical standpoint and in the context of responses from a new reference sample (Colligan, Osborne, and Offord). (LLL)

The paper discusses concepts fundamental to proper use of norm-referenced tests, considers common errors in the use, and suggests alternatives to norm-referenced testing for certain assessment purposes. A hypothetical client is used to illustrate errors including the use of age-equivalent scores as the sole summary of test results. (Author/CL)

Article commented on a study by Harris, who presented formulas for the variance of errors of estimation (of a true score from an observed score) and the variance of errors of prediction (of an observed score from an observed score on a parallel test). (Author/RK)

Results of the study indicate that college nonmusic majors of the Southern United States have musical aptitude somewhat greater than that of high school students in general and lesser than that of midwestern college music majors. (Author)

Percentile scores appear to be the easiest standardized test scores for parents to understand. Yet in this true-false test, Hills reveals commonly held misconceptions about percentile score reports. (LC)

The drop in standardized test scores may be due to the fact that the standardization samples on the basis of whose performance the test norms were established no longer represent the testees to whom the tests are applied. (Author/LS)

Offers a comprehensive evaluation/grading scheme that can handle the four domains of discipline-based art education, outlining an approach for each. Addresses both norm-referenced and criterion-referenced goals, and methods for assessment. (LS)