This reference guide contains clear and concise explanations of concepts related to educational testing and standards. The book may be read straight through as a primer on educational assessment or may be used as a reference for particular topics. The sections are: (1) Accountability (Consumers, Taxpayers, and Citizens); (2) Authenticity in Assessment; (3) Carrot and Stick (Standards, Testing, and Motivation); (4) Criterion- and Norm-Referenced Tests; (5) Curriculum Alignment; (6) Emotional Aspects of Testing; (7) Equity; (8) Essential Readings; (9) Ethics; (10) Gain Scores and Value Added; (11) Grade Level; (12) Group versus Individual Assessment; (13) High Stakes; (14) How Much Do Tests Cost?; (15) Internet Resources; (16) Knowing Something versus Answering Test Questions; (17) Lake Wobegon Effect; (18) The National Assessment of Educational Progress; (19) Passing (Cutoff) Scores; (20) Percentiles and Stanines; (21) Politics of Testing; (22) Professional Organizations; (23) Reading Comprehension Assessment; (24) Reliability; (25) SAT Tests; (26) Spelling Assessment as an Exemplar of Broader Issues; (27) Standard Deviation; (28) Standardized; (29) Standards; (30) Test Security; (31) Test Specifications; (32) Testing Teachers; (33) Validity; (34) What Should an Educated Person Know?; and (35) Where Do We Go from Here? An appendix contains the statement of the American Educational Research Association on high stakes testing. (Contains 83 references.) (SLD)