Sixty teachers responded to questions about the permissibility of 51 possible test modifications for pupils with disabilities on South Carolina-mandated criterion-referenced tests. Results indicated that teachers were not very knowledgeable about which modifications are allowed, and with few exceptions, special educators were no more informed than…

Standardized examinations do not measure teacher competence because good teaching requires skills which cannot be measured accurately by standardized tests. Overreliance on standardized testing contributes to racial discrimination and exclusion of ethnic minorities from educational and professional opportunities. (IAH)

Examines the traditional role assessment has played in college placement, reasons why traditional instruments have been criticized, and alternative affective and cognitive measurements. (MG)

Examines dropout rates, standardized test scores, commission reports, university enrollments, per pupil expenditures, special education costs, employment trends, and other indicators to show that U.S. education is not in the sorry condition its critics claim. Rereading "A Nation at Risk" (1983) discloses a xenophobic screed having little…

Investigates the link between staff development and student achievement, examining studies that were published or accessed in ERIC and that used standardized achievement tests to evaluate students. The article reviews studies related to and different from Hunter's model, noting that statistical data do not support the link. (SM)

Reviews studies on effects of psychostimulant medications on children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, focusing on classroom academic performance and standardized achievement. Reports that studies of acute effects on daily classroom performance consistently reveal substantial beneficial effects of medication, whereas studies of…

A measurement and psychometric examination of cognitive tasks was carried out with 195 undergraduates, investigating stability of latencies and number correct scores over a 2-week period and relations with standardized test and ability measure scores. Results are discussed in terms of the need for evaluating cognitive task measurement properties.…

Discusses the National Commission on Testing and Public Policy's critique of current standardized testing on grounds of its inequities and its effects on curriculum. Finds that one kind of alternative assessment that can realign assessment with curriculum is authentic assessment. Focuses on performance assessment. Connects authentic and…

Many view central-city schools as bloated, inefficient institutions that pass students through the system regardless of performance. A least-squares analysis of 602 Ohio schools upholds this view. Although inner-city schools depress standardized test scores, more students graduate than expected. Social promotion may be responsible. (27 references)…

Combines item response theory (IRT) and statistical methods to analyze California Achievement Test-Mathematics (CAT-M) results for 4,135 seventh graders in northeast Ohio. Provides information to educational analysts about which IRT model fits CAT-M data for the target population, test accuracy in estimating students' abilities at different…

Builds a model explaining the behavior of the supply and demand for education at U.S. liberal arts colleges. A statistical analysis of 1990-91 data for 338 private liberal arts institutions suggests a perfectly competitive market. Student quantity, costs, test scores, class size, and college rankings help explain tuition variations. Contains 27…

Compared two single-sex and two coeducational fifth-grade classes (90 students) from inner-city schools for academic achievement. Class grades were consistently higher in the single-sex classes, although the difference was not always statistically significant. Standardized-test data showed no trend, although coeducational groups performed better…

Examines the problems and potential of the Concord School of Law, an online law school venture of Kaplan Educational Centers, a rapidly growing education company involved in academic coaching, assessment, and training programs for K-6 through graduate school; professional training, recruitment, and licensing examinations; publishing; and distance…

Computerized testing pioneers are forcing educators to consider scrapping paper-and-pencil tests in favor of electronic testing. Critics say standardized testing and curricula will produce standardized children for point-and-click work places. Benefits include immediate and sophisticated analyses to aid teaching adjustments. Equity questions…

The nonprofit corporation that performs standardized testing for law school admission has in recent years produced $100 million in profits. For minority groups who tend to score poorly on the test, the question is why the corporation refuses to dedicate some of its wealth to commissioning an independent study of whether test results correlate with…