A study investigated test-taking patterns and pass rates on the National Board of Medical Examiners test (NBME) and Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences (FMGEMS), including trends in pass rates, proportion of candidates taking each test, and proportions of repeaters for each test. (MSE)

The Stanford-Binet IV is compared to the original version and criticized for having less power to measure the high end of intelligence and for having norms that discriminate against gifted students. Strengths of the Stanford-Binet L-M are pointed out, and use of both scales for different purposes is recommended. (JDD)

Performance-based assessment is more multidimensional, interdisciplinary, continuous, performance-based, and curriculum-related than traditional testing. The San Diego Unified School District is actively involved in developing the new California Assessment Program, participates in the California Assessment Collaborative, and is a partner in the…

The Miller Assessment for Preschoolers, intended for children ages 2-5, is designed as both a screening and a diagnostic assessment, measuring neuromaturational variables, coordination, language, memory, problem solving, and visual perception. This review examines test administration, summation of data, standardization, reliability, and validity,…

Examines the development and administration of the New Jersey General Intellectual Skills (GIS) Assessment, administered for the first time in 1990 at all public colleges and universities in the state. Describes the GIS's scope and function, scoring procedures, score reporting, faculty expectations, and initial results. (DMM)

Teachers' ability to act as full professionals is significantly limited by textbook programs in state and local curricula as well as the use of standardized achievement tests. Curriculum reform and upgrading of teacher professionalism go hand in hand. (SK)

Test developers have an obligation to create the most appropriate assessment instruments possible as L. J. Kilian argues, but whether they do or not, educators still are responsible for providing test preparation that is professionally ethical and educationally defensible. (SLD)

Variance as a function of time is described for the Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate's examination standards, with emphasis on the performance of candidates from Botswana and Zimbabwe. Results demonstrate the value of simple linear modeling in extracting performance trends for a range of subjects over time across six countries. (TJH)

Offers parable concerning cobbler who lost control of how he operated within his profession. Notes many teachers also feel they are not in charge, that the curriculum is driven by standardized tests and/or the scope and sequence of the published program adopted by the school system. Expresses encouragement that a growing number of teachers are…

Examines the use of educational indicators to serve educational policy ends, the potential benefits and dangers of various uses, and how to forge guidelines for appropriate relationships between indicators and policy. Indicators should not be used as administrative controls or policy levers, but to illuminate educational activities and processes…

This assessment of the usefulness of the "Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised" and the "Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition" for gifted children found that both are technically superior instruments with sensitive items, exceptional standardization, strong construct validity, and…

A "recentering" of Scholastic Assessment Test scores will boost average scores but will not change test item difficulty. The objective is to reduce confusion among students and parents about what is an average score, make math and verbal scores more comparable, and account for a different student population. Bar graphs compare…

Lessons designed to prepare students for standardized tests are replacing lessons designed to help children think. Instead of national standardized test scores, schools should use local criterion-referenced tests; take a baseline measurement; compare test scores with districts having similar demographics; compare students, not grade levels; and…

Emphasizes the value of national standardized testing, discussing five issues: nobody is accountable for education results if there is no clarity about requirements; nobody likes today's tests; the entire nation is at risk; parents need reliable measures of children's success; and other countries with successful education systems have national…

Problems with the oral Bagrut are discussed, including the complicated rating scale, complicated administration requirements, lack of conformity in materials, unsuitable tests, monologue approach, and scoring system. A suggested form for reporting scores is presented. (LB)