Six fundamental public misconceptions about tests are discussed: (1) the view of tests as infallible, objective predictors of behavior versus the view of tests as completely without value; (2) the lack of understanding concerning pyschometric characteristics of tests; (3) the confusion between labels and constructs; (4) the belief that all the…

Due to the problems inherent in using a norm-reference test such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) to determine pupil achievement, a comparison of ITBS with the Individually Prescribed Instruction (IPI) continuum and placement tests was undertaken. This yielded the following conclusions: Of the 136 items on test 1-A Arithmetic Concepts, 14…

Nine aphasia tests were reviewed using seven psychometric criteria appropriate to standardized tests. The need for test manuals to contain a wide range of psychometric information is discussed, and, in particular, the role of subject description in test standardization is emphasized. (Author/CL)

Four standardized tests that include paragraph reading subtests to measure reading comprehension are examined: (1) Basic Achievement Skills Individual Screener, (2) Durell Analysis of Reading Difficulty, (3) Test of Reading Comprehension, and (4) Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests. (CL)

U.S. public schools are responsible for educating large numbers of students with disabilities and English language learners--some 20 percent of the nation's 46 million public school students fall into one or both of these categories. Both of these populations have been increasing, and the demand for evidence of their academic progress has also…

This presentation will demonstrate the uses of SAM 2003 from Course Technology as a skills assessment and training software that is used via the Internet. Historically, testing in computer education has taken the form of pencil and paper or standardized testing. The actual computer skills of the student have not been properly assessed. With SAM,…

This paper presents a model of testing and assessment that has the potential to address the concerns of critics of standardized testing. The model differs from the traditional approach in several ways including, how it views human nature and the test taker; the purpose of testing; the testing process; the outcomes of testing; and who makes testing…

Suggests some negative consequences that standard testing presents in the educational process. (LN)

Cross-validation and standardization of a multiple choice analogy test designed to identify children who rely on free association rather than analogical reasoning. (Author)

Occasionally, differences in test scores seem to indicate that a student performs much better in one reading area than in another when, in reality, the differences may not be statistically significant. The author presents a table in which statistically significant differences between Woodcock test standard scores are identified. (Author)

Aside from simulating test taking, most test preparation courses stress the importance of following directions, working rapidly, thinking clearly, and learning other elements of test-wiseness. (Author/IRT)

The authors discuss ways to graph and view the performance of learning disabled (LD) students on the Detroit Test of Learning Aptitude (DTLA). Analysis of level and spread of scores as well as of the types of errors are described. A remediation approach is then developed based on individual strengths and weaknesses. (CL)

A new concept, instructional validity implies that a test is valid if it can be demonstrated that instruction of sufficient quality and behaviorally matched to the performance demands of the test items was offered. (Author/LS)