Provided is an annotated bibliography of 86 measurement instruments which are used in screening and formulating diagnoses for exceptional children. The following components are included in each test summary: title, date of the most recent revision, author, range (in terms of chronological age or grade placement), administration (group or…

The absence of a uniform system of education in the United States is accompanied by freedom in testing. Two types of testing procedures are described: the multi-level standardized tests produced by the Educational Testing Service and experimental use of the cloze procedure. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

Discusses the efforts of some cities and states in applying competence-based graduation requirements for high school students. Considers how competence can be tested and the problems of inadequate tests in judging student abilities. (RK)

The "Uniform Graduation Examination Requirements" for English are examined and, in general, approved. But the written portion needs better description; the "Translation" and "Summary and Text Discussion" portions should be changed. Distinctions between basic and honors courses are unclear. Description and rating of…

Part of a special issue on adaptive behavior, the article discusses three assessment-related issues: (1) clarity of the construct of adaptive behavior; (2) norm samples for adaptive behavior scales; and (3) predictive validity of adaptive behavior scales. Improvements are noted in the standardization properties of major adaptive behavior scales.…

Examination of 60 students followed from grade 6 through 12 revealed the following: (1) female math and English classroom grades remained stable over time but achievement scores in both areas declined; (2) male performance in both assessment contexts remained stable; and (3) school-related responsibility is related to performance by females, not…

A discussion of the British higher education admission system describes the drawbacks of the process and the examination on which it relies, examines the implications for the higher education participation rate and social inequality, and argues that alternatives such as developmental courses can not be expected to produce significant change. (MSE)

Notes some of the conflicts between the use of hands-on science curricula and standardized testing. Discusses the state of testing and the state of science education with regard to the tests. Describes some promising developments in assessment in science education. (TW)

Extent of curriculum bias was analyzed using seven standardized and criterion-referenced reading achievement tests. Bias was examined relative to five commercial reading programs at the third-grade level. Results indicated that the degree of bias varied widely depending on the specific test and program used for reading instruction. (Author/ABB)

A variety of uses of College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests has emerged, including rewarding high school seniors for competence in English and excellence in other subjects, college and university community outreach and public relations, encouraging college aspirations, student recruitment, and integration with freshman orientation. (MSE)

Can students' writing ability really be assessed by standardized, objective tests? This question is explored here along with a discussion of the alternatives and advice for principals to help their English and language arts teachers confront the issue. (Author/TE)

Alternative standards for admission into teacher education programs should be considered for Blacks and other minorities who are sometimes unable to gain admission to teacher education programs because of inadequate entrance examination scores. Various alternative standards are described. (JMK)

Multiple-choice reading comprehension items from a conventional, norm-referenced reading comprehension test were successfully analyzed using a simple latent class model. Results support the use of latent class, state mastery models with more heterogenous item pools than has been previously advocated. (Author/PN)

A brief history of the Law School Admission Council and its work outlines its early role in aptitude testing, early organizational considerations, modern testing effort, and other services. A chart lists some law school applicant and student demographics from 1947 to the present. (MSE)

"A Nation At Risk," the report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, lists concerns, findings, and suggestions for solutions to educational problems. Discussed here are the general educational concerns most relevant to music education. Following each concern are suggestions for improvement that can be implemented in music courses.…