A study involving all students taking the California Achievement Test (CAT) in the Cleveland City School District (Ohio) during the fall of 1989 was conducted to assess the effects of the use of parallel test forms. Each spring, all students in grades 4, 6, and 8 are selected to take the appropriate level of the CAT reading test, Form E. As a…

A collection of essays and research reports addresses issues in the testing of English as a Second Language (ESL) among foreign students in United States colleges and universities. They include the following: "Overview of ESL Testing" (Ralph Pat Barrett); "English Language Testing: The View from the Admissions Office" (G. James…

This comprehensive evaluation of basic skills testing in California's elementary and secondary schools is divided into an executive summary and a collection of research reports. The summary evaluates current testing conducted by the state, school districts, and classroom teachers; describes experimental studies on new ways of testing and reporting…

The basic tenet of this paper is that the difference between black and white children on IQ measures is not due to genetics but describes the cultural distance between the two groups. The cultural distance approach is described as an amalgam of the environmental and social psychology points of view. It holds that any subculture operating according…

This paper examines some impacts of basic skills proficiency testing of teachers in Arizona. A discussion of some legal issues involved in teacher proficiency testing is presented. Specific cases are cited which illustrate the fact that the courts have ruled that testing must show "job-relatedness" and a "rational basis for…

In the second year of a project investigating the ability of secondary school teachers to identify high-ability students, two questions were addressed: what student characteristics influenced teachers' judgments, and why checklists appeared to have little impact on teachers' judgments. A structured approach was developed to study student…

A report on tests used by California undergraduate institutions and by graduate and professional schools is presented by the California Postsecondary Education Commission. Information is provided on five tests used by undergraduate colleges: the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, the Scholastic…

Florida requires all students in grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 to demonstrate mastery of minimum performance standards using the Florida Student State Assessment Test (SSAT) forms for the appropriate grade level. The tests are administered in October and cover reading, writing, and mathematics. Current practices used to prepare students for the SSAT…

The purpose of this study was to develop a testing method for the assessment of various types of writing at the elementary school level that would meet acceptable standards for educational measurement instruments as well as standards of utility and feasibility within a given educational system. The study was conducted within the framework of an…

This study examined the differences between actual and predicted school achievement on a grade 5 standardized reading posttest. The primary objective was to identify which schools are performing above expectation on a posttest by examining multiple regression residuals and, concurrently, which school level variables are associated with that…

The Iowa Norming Study determined how well graduating high school seniors (N=722) performed on the revised 1988 Tests of General Educational Development (GED), providing the data to describe and evaluate the score requirements for GED Test candidates in terms of the percentage of Iowa high school graduates a GED Test candidate must exceed to…

An brief overview of the Achievement Testing Program conducted by Alberta Education (AE) during 1980-90 is provided. The program provides AE, jurisdictions, schools, and the public with information about students' knowledge and skills in relation to objectives in the provincial program of studies. Program tests are administered every 4 years on a…

Current science assessments in use in the states were studied, and the extent to which these assessments meet the goals of reform of science education specified by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) was investigated. These goals were identified by the AAAS in "Project 2061: Science for All Americans?" Data…

Seven short articles on the use of standardized tests in the United States are presented. Topics include: (1) the effects on school restructuring during the 1990's of the backlash against standardized tests; (2) the movement to replace multiple-choice standardized testing and its relationship with curricular goals; (3) the influence of…

In February 1989, statewide assessment tests in reading, mathematics, and writing were given to a sample of eighth graders throughout Oregon. The results and analyses of reading and mathematics assessments are presented. Important trends are described based on the analysis of data from 1985, 1987, and 1989. The 1989 information provides the first…