Adopting a new series of tests can raise student test scores. Scores can also be inflated by ensuring certain students do not take specific tests or by not counting some scores. Dramatic rises in standardized scores are likely to be accompanied by skepticism. (MD)

Discusses the necessity for the use of test score data in measuring school effectiveness. Outlines the types of tests best suited to particular schools. (MD)

A computer program has been developed to assist users of DIAL-R (Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Revised), a widely used screening test, in the accurate scoring of young children's performance. In addition to print-out feedback for parents and teachers, the program generates suggested objectives for each child based on the…

Higher elementary student scores on standardized tests do not mean educational improvement. Scores can be affected by teaching "to" the test, coaching on test taking, and skewed norms. Test scores have been declining at the secondary level. Included is a discussion of secondary tests. (MD)

The Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS), Form U were administered to all students in Grades 5, 7, and 9 in the San Diego City Schools during the last two weeks of April, 1983. This report is intended to respond to two primary questions: (1) how are San Diego elementary and junior high students doing relative to the national norm group, and…

The North Carolina End-of-Course Testing Program was established to provide student, school, and school system information about achievement in high school courses. Approximately 83.4 percent of the 77,154 students who took the biology test were in the tenth grade. Students taking biology in the ninth grade (8.3 percent) were on an accelerated…

To facilitate the proper technical use of the test scores obtained from the administration of the tests, the curricular and psychometric characteristics of the tests are described in a series of technical manuals. This manual, the seventh in the series, contains a description of the characteristics of the North Carolina Test of Chemistry. The test…

The North Carolina End-of-Course Testing Program was established to provide student, school, and school system information about achievement in high school courses. The 59,723 students who took the Algebra I End-of-Course Test in 1987-88 were a subgroup of the school population in the eighth through twelfth grades. The proportion of students…

The North Carolina End-of-Course Testing Program was established to provide student, school, and school system information about achievement in high school courses. It appears that more than 40 percent of a class of students and approximately 60 percent of Algebra I students take Algebra II. Each Algebra II student took a test containing one of…

The School Subjects Attitude Scales were developed to measure student attitudes toward school subjects. It is intended for use in grades 5-12. Reliability estimates were sufficiently high to warrant using the Scales for responses of groups, but not with individuals. Various criteria confirmed the scales' validity. Large groups of public school…

Both norm-referenced and criterion-referenced interpretations of student, school, district, and state testing data can be improved by customizing the traditional norm-referenced test. Improvements that can be made include: (1) increasing the relevance of the test to the curriculum and (2) having greater confidence in the national comparative…

This packet contains a manual and a workbook for developing performance tests in vocational education. The manual gives an in-depth description of how to develop, score, and use performance tests. It includes the following sections: definitions of performance testing, steps in developing a performance test, selecting a performance development…

Reviewing research on grade retention, this paper describes tools and guidelines developed as an aid in retention decisions and examines actual promotion/retention policies and practices. Most research on academic and social effects of grade retention suffers from poor methodology, leaving the conclusions suspect and the results contradictory. The…

Standards-based assessment is the student evaluation method favored by the National Qualifications Framework developed by the New Zealand National Qualifications Authority. Before determining an assessment method, definitions of key terms and concepts such as assessment, validity, and reliability must be determined. Good assessments are developed…

Pupils at three elementary schools and one junior high school among Area 1 inner-city schools of St. Louis Missouri, were identified as scoring well below norms on standardized tests. An effort to change the educational programs at these schools netted financial support and the creation of Project SHAL (named for the schools involved). Inservice…