A study of Scholastic Aptitude Test scores for nine groups of students with disabilities taking special test administrations found differences in score levels among disability groups but no significant differences of measurement precision and no evidence of disadvantage for disabled students. (Author/MSE)

Discussion of the development of distance education programs in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Great Britain focuses primarily on six programs in the United States. External degree programs are discussed, standard examinations that assess prior learning are described, and credit policies for extra-institutional learning are examined.…

Assessed the effect of commercial coaching on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores of 438 students in private suburban college preparatory schools, 200 of whom received formal preparation for the SAT. Results showed that short-term coaching did not yield significantly greater verbal scores, but mathematics scores for coached students were…

A study investigated the appropriateness of the American College Testing Program's College Outcome Measures Program, conducted at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, by applying the criterion of construct validity. Results indicated that while the test primarily measures individual differences, it is also sensitive to the effects of higher…

In an effort to explain gender differences in Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, a study tested the effects of changing time limits and directions (standard and non-standard) on performance of academically talented males and females on the math and verbal test sections. Several potentially explanatory patterns were found. (MSE)

An analysis of current efforts underway to assess higher education student outcomes points out three potential problem areas (negative impact on curriculum and instruction; easily undermined assessment; correlation between assessment and instructional improvement) and suggests approaches to ameliorate these difficulties. (CB)

The importance of using the standard error of measurement (SEm) in determining reliability in test scores is emphasized. The SEm is compared to the hypothetical true score for standardized tests, and procedures for calculation of the SEm are explained. (JDD)

In today's political climate, standardized tests are inadequate and misleading as achievement measures. Educators should employ a variety of measures, improve standardized test content and format, and remove incentives for teaching to the test. Focusing on raising test scores distorts instruction and renders scores less credible. Includes 13…

Determines whether three groups of readers (normally achieving, poor comprehenders, and reading disabled) differed in their ability to cope with reading comprehension task demands. Finds that the groups differed with respect to their performance on specific question-answer types and their standardized reading comprehension scores. Suggests that…

Assessment of practical objectives by means of a project which occurred in an operational Advanced level examination in the United Kingdom is analyzed for construct validity. As in previous research, low correlation were found between scores of (n=218) candidates on the project and on the other components of the examination. (18 references)…

Borland and Howsen (1992) showed that public schools' market structure affected academic performance. This paper examines the effects of neighboring school districts' performance on that of six metropolitan Ohio school districts, modeling student achievement as a function of control variables and competition from neighboring school districts.…

A psychologist's research suggests that black and female students may have lower standardized test scores and academic achievement because they have accepted stereotypes concerning their ability. Critics feel the researcher, Claude M. Steele, may be overlooking other factors. Steele has developed a program a Stanford University (California) to…

Rather than being a handbook of resources, this book is primarily a glossary of testing terms from the routine to the obscure. Although the title suggests a focus on performance-based evaluation, the book concentrates on orthodox testing procedures. (SLD)

The abilities measured by the First Certificate of English (FCE) administered by the Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate are compared with the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Service. The analyses suggest that the FCE and TOEFL appear to measure the same common aspect of language…

Surveys the status of statewide reading assessment practices in the United States. Finds that the typical state uses an existing national standardized test or its own local standardized version and that only 10 percent of states are on the cutting edge of reading evaluation. Suggests that, at the statewide level, reading assessment has not kept…