This document is intended for use in conjunction with "Policies and Procedures for Accommodations and Alternate Assessment to the MEA," and both the "MEA Principal/Test Coordinator's Manual" and the "MEA Test Administrator's Manual." The first section, Enrollment, covers the following subjects: (1) Participation of Enrolled Students; (2) Students…

Discusses test-taking skills and their application to tests of reading achievement. Presents a rationale for teaching these skills, lists a comprehensive set of skills relevant to standardized reading tests, and offers suggestions for teaching the skills and helping children use them. (FL)

Offers strategies for improving student scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Covers three areas: improvement in instructional quality in high schools; analysis and refinement of opportunities for students to demonstrate and practice test-taking skills; and enhancement of understanding and support among parents, community, and staff. (PGD)

Multiple regression models are formulated which analyze the usefulness of AHPAT (Allied Health Professions Admission Test) as a predictor of success in allied health programs. Models are estimated by using data from the four baccalaureate programs in the School of Allied Health Professions at SUNY--Stony Brook. (CT/Author)

There are many connections between good test taking practices and good general learning practices. This article offers strategies related to reading and math instruction and testing. It also describes how to teach students the fundamentals of standardized tests. Tips for reducing test stress are provided. (SM)

The meanings of reliability and validity as they apply to standardized measures are used as a framework for applying the concepts of reliability and validity to authentic assessments. This article sees reliability as scorability and stability, whereas validity is seen as students' ability to use knowledge authentically in the field. (DB)

Discusses fairness in student evaluation, focusing on art criticism as a metaphor in which the evaluator transforms into something akin to an art critic. The article explains what the art criticism approach looks like in the classroom and describes the process of art criticism (description, analysis, interpretation, judgment). )SM)

Suggests that ELLA (English Language and Literacy Assessment ) implemented in New South Wales, Australia, fails four tests for sound diagnostic assessment set out in a standard reference (K.W. Howell et al. "Curriculum Based Evaluation")--tests for logicality, reliability, validity, and accuracy and practicality. (RS)

Claims that arguments about the invalidity, purposelessness, and misleading nature of ELLA (English Language and Literacy Assessment ) implemented in New South Wales, Australia, remain intact despite attempts to counter the arguments. Presents a detailed critique of arguments presented in an article in the previous of this journal supporting ELLA.…

Describes how a group of Texas teacher educators use story to examine their teaching decisions in the face of a test-driven curriculum. Notes that their stories reflect their responses to pressures to create curriculum that imitates the test rather than remaining learner-centered. (SG)

Based on the idea that knowing which words to use and how to use them are keys to an individual's getting the most from his or her mind, this book aims to improve people's vocabularies. To find out which words should be known, research into the vocabularies of educated adults was conducted by "The Princeton Review." Newspapers from…

Testing and assessment have become extremely important components of the educational program. The purpose of this position paper is to provide factual and policy-related information that may be of use to school boards as they design or improve their districts' testing and assessment policies. It is the New York State policy that school boards…

This handbook was designed to assist counselors, teachers, and administrators in using the Career Skills Assessment Program (CSAT) materials and services properly. Part 1 of the handbook, Guide to Use of the CSAP, is primarily concerned with understanding, interpreting, and applying the results of the program. Specific topics discussed in this…

Some negative feelings about tests may be the result of not understanding what tests do, what their limitations are, and how they are scored. Classroom, standardized, achievement, and criterion-referenced tests are discussed. Tips for helping children develop a realistic attitude toward tests and good work habits are given. (MT)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1998 Writing Assessment measured student writing performance at the 4th, 8th, and 12th grades. Scoring guides for each grade allowed scorers to objectively evaluate students' work. This issue of NAEPfacts includes a 4th-grade narrative scoring guide, along with samples of student work at each…