This module was developed to introduce users of norm-referenced tests (NRT) to procedures for conducting a survey of personal resources and a review of career goals and objectives, and to provide incentives and opportunities for test takers to find a personal meaning and value in the use of test results and assessment. The activities within the…

This handbook provides guidelines for teaching test-taking skills to students of all grade levels to help the students raise their standardized test scores. Topics covered include: understanding instructions and following directions, efficient use of time, intelligent guessing, and application of special strategies for multiple-choice and…

This literature review examines the teaching techniques and school environments that have been linked with high scores on standardized tests. It describes the strategies that might be used to achieve one particular educational goal, while making teachers aware that trade-offs are required when they choose to emphasize one particular goal. The…

Articles in this series on testing and evaluation specifically address the use of tests to assess and improve educational status; achievement test selection; and trend toward increased use of coaching materials to improve test performance. Professional literature on educational measurement is reviewed. (MBR)

This report provides educational stakeholders with information about how to close the achievement gap in education. Researchers reviewed several analyses of test score data and various studies of the gap and its causes. Part 1 contains background information and discusses why this gap has become such a critical issue, reviews basic principles, and…

This guide helps educators and policymakers in developing and implementing policies that involve the use of standardized tests as part of decision making that has high stakes consequences for students. The guide applies to standardized tests that are addressed in the "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" (Joint Standards, 1999).…

The study of curriculum-based measurement (CBM), involving 57 adults in a basic literacy program, found that narrative rather than expository passages exhibited higher reliability. Level of difficulty did not affect reliability. Validity data showed inconsistency between CBM and standardized test scores. The measures were sensitive to student…

An 18-month study of the use of the Blind Learning Aptitude Test at schools for visually impaired children in England and Wales found the test to be culturally fair and appropriate for use with children for whom English is a second language. Scores are compared with standardization data for visually impaired children in the United States.…

A discussion of the National Board of Medical Examiners' (NBME) pass-fail grading for Part I and Part II examinations gives background on procedures previously used for setting criterion-based grading standards, gives an overview of research on standard-setting, and outlines NBME plans for determining new standards and incorporating improvements.…

Research bears out the assertion that the traditional tests and measures used to define achievement have incorporated societal attitudes about class, race, and gender. Cultural factors, teacher behaviors, and teacher bias can account for early differences in the reading achievement of girls and boys. Furthermore, girls' grades for English and…

Teaching strategies are outlined for teachers of English as a second language to use in improving students' listening and reading comprehension skills specifically for two standardized tests: the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The strategies presented are not intended…

The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP), enacted into law in the fall of 1989, was designed to insure that public college students in Texas would have the basic skills necessary to perform in college-level courses. The TASP law requires that students be tested prior to completing 9 or 15 semester hours of college-level work. The law also requires…

Information is provided about the Delaware Educational Assessment Program and the performance of Delaware public school students as measured by a nationally-normed standardized achievement test. The Stanford Achievement Test, Eighth Edition was administered statewide, allowing comparisons with national performance and with the performance of…

Intended as a guide in the development of a sound evaluation program utilizing both instructor-produced and standardized tests, this booklet presents a practical, understandable rationale for the development and use of both kinds of testing in the educational setting. Section I discusses the functions of measurement, offering a rationale for…

The content of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act is described, its current interpretations are examined, and the implications for developing a responsible language and citizenship curriculum to conform to the legislation are discussed. Specific attention is focused on the law's requirement that illegal aliens applying for amnesty and…