Prior to 1975, students in Chicago Public Schools were assigned grade level tests, a practice that in 1974 resulted in 42 percent of the students scoring at the equivalent of a "chance" level. In 1975, the schools switched to functioning level testing. The change caused lower average test scores, but the percentage of chance scores…

The amount of testing in U.S. schools is substantial. A strong testing program is seen as one of the major factors in effective schools. The authority of a testing program can be enhanced by teacher involvement, specialists' endorsement, formal adoption by a school, and promotion by a principal. (NJ)

U.S. Department of Education (ED) activities relating to the utility of Title I evaluations are discussed within the context of an overview of the Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) and a history of Title I evaluations. Implications for Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) of 1981 are considered. (LC)

The integration of testing and learning are discussed as urgent tasks for test developers, examiners, and guidance specialists. The implications of Edmonds' concept of educational equity (see TM 506 980) and Krumboltz's view of the role of testing in guidance (see TM 506 981) are analyzed. (CM)

Identifies the types of questions in standardized reading tests to reveal whether the tests cover various comprehension skills and measure students' growth in higher skills from year to year. (AEA)

The history of test development and the current controversy over standardized testing are reviewed. The consequences of testing, particularly for minority groups, are outlined, and criticism of some viewpoints of professors Robert Ebel and Melvin Tumin is made. (Author/AL)

While major test publishers randomly select school districts for their national norming studies, a survey of "accepting" and "declining" districts supports the hypothesis that self-selection bias results in overrepresentation of districts which already use a specific publisher's tests or instructional materials. (Author/BW)

Subjected the standardization data for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) and the original Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) to principal-factor analysis. A two-factor solution was adopted for each scale. The stability of the two factors, Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Organization, was high both within and between…

Standardized testing is here to stay. Critics are serving a useful purpose in that they force users to examine benefits and the drawbacks. This process has an inevitable spinoff effect since almost every user of standardized tests is involved in a classroom situation where informal testing is ongoing. (Author)

Five informal reading inventories and one standardized test containing graded reading passages were reviewed to determine their readability estimates. (HOD)

The potential usefulenss of the current National Board of Medical Examiners basic science examination as a measure of student knowledge of information in oncology and neoplasia is discussed. (MLW)

Standardized test instruments inherently and systematically impose limitations on experiential-cognitive relevance, especially in reinforcing the convenient separation of individual aptitudes from the total development and socialization of a child. (Author/IRT)

Listed are six organizations that offer bar review courses, and the addresses of state bar examiners and other pertinent information (application filing, exam dates and locations, and fees and residency requirements) for taking examinations. Available Law Student Division, American Bar Association, 1155 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637; $1.00. (MSE)

Examines the failure of secondary schools as reflected in the poor public opinion of school performance and the decline in students' test scores. Suggests that a more careful analysis be made of how students spend their time, with the objective of increasing the number of hours spent on learning tasks. (JP)

A teacher explains the procedures she uses to prepare her fifth and sixth graders for taking multiple-choice standardized tests. (SJL)