A study of Florida's "school accountability" reform examined Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) scores in Orange County. It was found that percentages of low-income, gifted, and Black students in a school population could predict the FCAT score with 80-86 percent accuracy. The testing process creates a self-fulfilling prophecy.…

Sixty subjects age 6 to 30 months were assessed with the Bayley Mental Scale of Infant Development (BMSID). Mean scores were substantially higher than standardized norms would predict, indicating that Bayley norms need to be revised, and that strict interpretation of the BMSID may result in misdiagnosis of some infants with developmental…

Analyses of the results of 23 reports on coaching for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) indicated that, on the average, coaching can help increase SAT scores. The considerable variability in the results of 48 studies reflected the many factors influencing coaching effectiveness and the wide variety of study designs. (SLD)

Examines issues involved in the separation of testing and diagnostic assessment in the area of mathematics education. Argues that the demands imposed by grading for certification purposes are irreconcilable with the requirements of diagnostic assessment thus leading to serious internal contradictions. Reviews the Graded Assessment in Mathematics…

The process proposed for the development and use of computer-based testing, including simulation and multiple-choice questions, as part of the National Board of Medical Examiners' certification sequence is outlined. Summary reports of first-phase pilot testing in six medical schools are appended. (MSE)

Argues that the publication of "A Nation at Risk" politicized education and established an environment in which the state imposed a common curriculum on everyone. Emphasizes that this is detrimental as it transfers curriculum control to the state and that teachers then teach to the tests, which become the curriculum. (NL)

Describes and analyzes the social organization of testing as an interactional phenomenon. Provides examples of exchanges between clinician and child in a diagnostic testing situation. States these coorientational activities demonstrate that testing has an interactional basis. Explores the implications for research on bias in mental testing. (NL)

Cites changes to occur on the Medical College Admissions Test to include: a reduction from six to four sections, biology and physics content-specific sections to absorb chemistry, elimination of multiple-choice questions to a problem-solving format, and the inclusion of graded essay questions. (RT)

The effects of using item response theory (IRT) ability estimates based on customized tests formed by selecting areas from a nationally standardized achievement test were examined. For some populations, in some conditions, IRT ability estimates can be equivalent to scores based on full-length tests. (SLD)

The context in which higher education admissions tests are used, both intended, validated uses and misuses, are examined. Possible legal problems of misuse are discussed in light of a recent court decision, Sharif v. New York State Education Department. Focus is on three tests: the Scholastic Assessment Test, Graduate Record Examinations, and the…

Compares a large random sample of maltreated children (n=2,219) to smaller random samples of the general population and children receiving social services to investigate the effects of abuse and neglect on school performance. School-outcome deficits associated with maltreatment are substantively similar to those of children receiving social…

The legacy of gender inequity in education continues underneath an appearance of equal access. In elementary school, girls perform better than boys in most areas, but their test scores decline steadily through college. Females continue to be excluded in the classroom, in textbooks, and in extracurricular activities. Strategies for change are…

Three related Canadian studies assessed the content validity of 59 clinical problems designed as part of a test of medical decision-making skills. Focus was on the key features, i.e., the critical or essential steps in identification and management of the clinical problem. Results support content validity of the key features. (MSE)

Focuses on the process by which a social problem is redefined in response to a critical events, such as economic depressions, environmental disasters, intense physical confrontations, or strategic initiatives by a social movement organization. Examines a conservative movement's attempt to redefine "the problem" of the schools at the time…

Canadian parents and educators are targeted with a campaign designed to convince them that lack of adequate testing represents a major barrier to educational reform. The paper examines the dangers and adverse effects of standardized testing, reviewing recent attempts to alert educators and policymakers to the deficiencies of standardized testing.…