This document presents instructor's materials for a unit on use of tests and measures for conducting needs assessment. It also contains material for 11 transparencies and 4 exhibits (list of 20 informal measures; tips on selecting and using tests; tips on selecting measures; and tips on conducting the interview). It is assumed that needs…

This handbook is designed to serve as a resource for Alaskan district-level administrators in charge of planning, implementing and monitoring districtwide student assessment programs. The information is divided into 10 chapters, including: (1) aligning assessment with curriculum and instruction; (2) planning an assessment program; (3)…

Inspired by four recent decisions to change achievement tests used in the Austin Independent School District, the separate forms used and procedures followed have been combined into a systematic approach intended for use in future achievement test selections. A rating scale (Attachment 1) was developed to expedite a systematic comparison among…

This document is a training module designed to familiarize practicing school psychologists and school psychology students with the field of criterion-referenced measurement and recent developments within the field. The introduction gives reasons for the need for criterion-referenced testing as opposed to norm-referenced tests which include legal…

Specific recommendations are made concerning the circumstances under which the benefits of out-of-level testing outweigh the problems associated with it. Topics explored are: various methods for deciding when a set of test scores is invalid and the utility of these methods for local evaluators, the accuracy of vertical scaling, and the usefulness…

Several of the major considerations involved in implementing a statewide testing program are discussed. The test results provide information which influences the educational enterprise in matters of curriculum, instruction, guidance, and accountability. Tests to be used in an assessment program must be developed by the administering agency when…

Present discussion concerns the use rather than the content of tests. Four models of fair selection of tests are presented which describe the complexities of test fairness. Implications for the selection procedures practiced in our country are discussed. (Author/AM)

Six measurement-related problems which face educators attempting to implement minimum competency-oriented instruction (MC-OI) are isolated. They are: (1) choosing appropriate competencies to measure; (2) acquiring appropriate tests; (3) setting standards for MC-OI; (4) selecting suitable sanctions; (5) providing equidifficult examination…

The early Intervention Subcommittee of the London (Ontario) kindergarten through grade six Curriculum Committee was asked to develop recommendations for the early identification and remediation of children likely to experience difficulties in the acquisition of reading skills. The subcommittee decided to try what appeared to be some of the best…

The document contains seven papers from the Child Assessment Topical Workshop designed to raise participant awareness of basic assessment issues involved in screening, placement, and measurement of daily performance; to provide specific information about the assessment process, including collecting, organizing, analyzing, and using data; and to…

A statement of the major issues surrounding the use of standardized tests in schools is provided, covering the following areas of concern: (1) the major types of standardized tests and how they differ from teacher-made tests; (2) the role of standardized tests in education; (3) administering/scoring standardized tests; (4) interpretation of…

This publication is an outgrowth of the concern expressed by the National Council of Teachers of English regarding the nature, uses, and misuses of standardized tests, specifically the validity of the subject-matter content of standardized English tests and the relation of the overall purposes of a school's total English program to standardized…

Biased tests systematically favor some groups over others as a result of factors not part of what the test is said to measure. Bias is basically a problem of differential validity. Validity can be discussed in terms of either the procedures for establishing it or test use. Both ways clarify bias in any test. For content and construct validity, the…

In an attempt to find a test which minimized cultural bias, three tests were administered to 335 first grade pupils. The subjects comprised 2 groups (123 Anglo children and 212 Spanish surnamed children). The Goodenough Draw-A-Man Test (GDAM) and the Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Test (LT), Form A, were administered as measures of intelligence. The…

Computer-assisted test construction is a simple, inexpensive natural complement to computer-based test scoring. Parallel tests can be made for individually-paced instruction, and the computer can produce feedback to improve item quality. The adaptability of computer-assisted test construction means that its introduction will likely be accepted by…