The 2006-2007 school year was the eighth annual reporting period since disaggregating the performance of students with disabilities on state and district-wide assessments was required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It is the fifth reporting period since the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and the…

This study provides empirical support for the Attributions for Scholastic Outcomes Scale-Black (ASO-B) as an instrument for measuring two latent traits that influence causal reasoning about the Black-White achievement gap: culture-blaming and structure-blaming. Within this conceptual framework, culture-blaming refers to the belief that Black…

This article explores the reasoning employed by high school students to answer a set of multiple-choice history questions. The questions come from New York State's Global History and Geography Regents exam. The Regents exams, together with a particularly well-regarded and ambitious set of content standards, are the cornerstone of the state's…

The aim of this study was to verify whether children from low socio-economic status (SES) are victims of stereotype threat. Children in first grade (6 to 7 years old) and third grade (8 to 9 years old) performed Raven's progressive matrices, an intellectual ability test commonly used by psychologists. The test was presented either with the…

Focus and institutional policy under the No Child Left Behind Act [NCLB] (U.S. Department of Education 2001) has prioritized the individualistic, market-driven agenda. The NCLB regime has gained hegemony over the political space of public education, and the value and effectiveness of the educational process has become subject to the fetishism of…

Author questions the widespread use of standardized tests as measures of academic potential, aptitude and ability. The Graduate Record Exam and the Admission Test for Graduate Study in Business are two examples used. (HB)

The author rebuts two points in an article from the November issue that criticized those who criticize standardized tests. (IRT)

The author points out the limited usefulness of standardized tests in identifying gifted students. Research is cited to dispute common assumptions underlying many tests, including that speed is important, that intelligence is last year's achievement, and that testing must be conducted in an anxiety producing situation. (CL)

The functions, goals, and characteristics of test standardization are discussed, including an explanation of how score equating as an aspect of standardization is essential to the achievement of equity in testing. Psychometric specialists and testing program directors must understand score equating to ensure equitable use of tests. (Author/AL)

The nine subtests of the Stanford Achievement Test were factor analyzed for a sample of two twenty-six eighth grade students. The first factor dominated the analysis with no other factor accounting for any substantial variance. Tables are presented and implications discussed. (JKS)

Data from the Center for the Study of Evaluation's Secondary School Test Evaluations were analyzed to explore the present adequacy and propose a future direction of formal procedures for evaluating standardized tests. (Author/RC)

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) standardization data (for 1,880 adults) were analyzed to determine the frequency of relative intersubtest scatter. Relative scatter range was defined as the difference between highest and lowest subtest scores based on the value of the highest subtest. (SLD)

The benefits of standardized testing for a teacher are mentioned for which the teacher has to prepare for the students only for the test and not worry for preparing the students for college, work and life. Standardized testing takes away individualized instruction, does not allow creativity, does not measure true progress or advance critical…

The arts have always gotten short shrift in the schools, but the current standardized testing craze has put them in even greater jeopardy. At one elementary school in Oregon, however, the arts take center stage for a full week each year. The week includes the following themed days: (1) Dance Day; (2) Music Day; (3) Theater Day; and (4) Writing…

The rise in the number of children with autism poses challenges to professionals in the field of early care and education. The restricted patterns of communicating, relating, and behaving seen often in children with autism necessitate a sophisticated approach to assessment. There is an increasing need in the field to use alternative assessment…