This report provides background on statewide student testing and testing alternatives in Ohio. The status of achievement testing in other states is also discussed. Educational testing historically has included the two strands of intelligence testing and achievement testing. This report focuses on achievement testing. The two basic forms are criterion-referenced tests, which compare student achievement to a set of desired outcomes or standards, and norm-referenced tests, which compare achievement to that of other students who took the same test. Three common methods of statewide testing include written multiple-choice tests, performance-based tests, and portfolio assessment. To be successful at performance-based tests, students must be able to demonstrate their understanding of a subject through complex or multistage problems that require the application of several skills at once. Portfolio assessment requires that samples of student work be collected over a period of time. To prepare for portfolio assessments, teachers provide feedback on how work can be improved and help students understand the criteria for selecting their best work for inclusion in a portfolio. How best to test students on a statewide basis depends on how the tests are to be used. Testing requirements differ among states, but 47 states require districts to test public school students at some time between grades 1 and 12. There is a national trend toward the use of performance-based tests or portfolio assessments. In Ohio, the ninth-grade proficiency test consists of three criterion-referenced multiple-choice tests (mathematics, reading, and citizenship) and one criterion-referenced performance-based test (writing). An appendix discusses the early history of testing and the use of intelligence tests. (Contains seven exhibits.) (SLD)