Students with learning disabilities can prepare for the SATs (Stanford Achievement Tests) by (1) counseling sessions to discuss college prerequisites and pre-admission tests; (2) taking more academic courses or procuring necessary remedial help; (3) school personnel identifying and correcting skill weaknesses; and (4) discussing abuses and uses of…

A study of the written language test performance of a grade four learning-disabled French Immersion student revealed notable qualitative improvement between pretest and posttest settings concurrent with either minimal or no quantitative improvement. These observations suggest that standardized test instruments may not be the most appropriate tool…

Test-retest coefficients computed over a five-year interval for the 1973 edition of the Stanford Achievement Test-Hearing Impaired Version (SAT-HI) generally reflect adequate stability for a national sample of hearing-impaired students. Yet, ethnic background was an important variable influencing stability, specifically for Black students.…

The author reviews research to show that the Wechsler Scales (the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) can be grossly unrepresentative of the general population in identifying mental retardation. (CL)

An investigation of spelling proficiency at the grade four level (N=174) revealed (1) pronounced gender differences favoring females, (2) program differences for two grade four spelling programs, (3) standardized test differences, (4) psychometric inconsistencies between grade equivalent and standard scores, and (5) a distinct error pattern for…

Comparing distribution of scores on the Hiskey-Nebraska Test of Learning Aptitude (H-NTLA) with those from the Wechsler Performance Scales for 71 hearing impaired Ss revealed a correlation of .85. However, the H-NTLA yielded more Ss with extreme scores. Findings stress the need for caution in interpreting extreme H-NTLA scores. (CL)

The author considers factors in identifying gifted children and suggests that the best approach combines group and individual testing. He recommends use of the verbal, math, and standard written English forms of the Scholastic Aptitude Test and concludes by listing nine precautions for identification. (CL)

The tests yielded similar scores. A qualitative analysis, comparing the tests in the areas of content, quality, time efficiency and relevance for instruction found the California Achievement Test to be superior and more efficient for accessing secondary learning disabled students' math achievement levels. (Author/CL)

Assessment instruments should be selected on the basis of test design variables (such as date of development and content sequence), test construction variables (including standardization results), examinee-related variables (such as prerequisite skills and vocabulary level), examiner-related variables (including preparation and skills), and…

In an attempt to raise district scores, the Washington, D.C., public schools are now beginning a program to train students to take standardized tests. (IRT)

This review focuses on 128 high schools in Georgia that have completed at least one full year under block scheduling. Information presented includes scores on the Georgia High School Graduation Tests, Scholastic Assessment Test scores, and Advanced Placement examination scores. The review is merely a summary of selected descriptive information,…

The nature and extent of human error in educational testing over the past 25 years were studied. In contrast to the random measurement error expected in all tests, the presence of human error is unexpected and brings unknown, often harmful, consequences for students and their schools. Using data from a variety of sources, researchers found 103…

In the reporting of individual student results from standardized tests in educational assessments, the percentile rank of the individual student is a major numerical indicator. This paper develops a formulation and presents calculations to examine the accuracy of the individual percentile rank score. Here, accuracy follows the common-sense…

This document reports on an in-depth study of the implementation of systemic reform in the state of Victoria. Called Schools of the Future, the reform was significant in its scale and complexity. Within 4 years in Victoria achieved the lowest per-pupil expenditure of any state of Australia. Data on academic achievements have been fragmentary and…