This manual for administrators and teachers describes The Reading Tests for New York State Elementary Schools. The tests, utilizing the Degrees of Reading Power methodology, are designed to measure the most difficult prose text a student can read with comprehension, and are administered to all sixth grade students as part of the Pupil Evaluation…

Seven criteria for selecting and describing the standardization sample of the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT), 1978 edition are discussed. Four major variables were used to describe the sample: socioeconomic status; school district enrollment; public vs. nonpublic; and geographic region. Both forms and all grade levels of the Survey Battery…

An advisory committee representing counselors, curriculum specialists, students, teachers, and community members should participate in selecting standardized tests for school districts. These steps should be followed: (1) identify test purpose in relation to needs and objectives--diagnosis, placement, career guidance, program evaluation; (2)…

This took kit is part of a national campaign to help parents get more closely involved in their children's education. The campaign, "Success in School Equals Success in Life," asserts that all parents have the right to free, high quality education for their children regardless of race, gender, national origin, or disability status; all parents…

For most students, the intermediate years offer the last opportunity to prevent continued failure in reading and writing. These years are a critical bridge to the middle grades where the tendency is to be less personalized and focused on individual needs. This book provides teachers, administrators, and staff developers with the best…

This report describes court challenges to high school exit exams for students with disabilities, explores the legal and public policy issues, and discusses implications for educators. Legal challenges include claims brought under the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment, and under disability statutes, including the…

Three guides provide sample problems like the ones students would solve on the Colorado Student Assessment Program tests. For each question, the pertinent Colorado state standard is identified. The ninth grade guide contains questions in reading, writing and mathematics; the guide to the 10th grade examination also contains questions related to…

Describes an alternative method of placing students in reading groups which reduces reliance on achievement tests, yet remains manageable enough for large groups of students. Describes the six formal and informal measures used in placement: achievement test scores, IQ scores, attitude scores, current placement, grade in reading, and teacher…

This book covers various aspects of the "graded objectives movement" in England and is intended to help teachers understand the ideas behind the movement and to form working groups to implement it. Graded objectives are understood as those objectives which represent steps in a continuum that could be attempted by all learners who would…

The uses of standardized test results are discussed and various measurement terms are defined. Scores on criterion referenced tests are interpreted by relating performance to some predetermined criterion, whereas scores on norm-referenced tests are interpreted by comparing them with scores obtained by members of the group on which the test was…

This guide is designed to help parents gain a better understanding of testing and its role in the education of their children. It answers the following questions: (1) What are standardized tests? (2) What do standardized test scores tell me about my child? (3) How are standardized test scores used? (4) What are the limitations of standardized…

For Title I evaluations, it may be appropriate to test out-of-level; that is, to override publisher's recommendations concerning the difficulty, length, and content appropriate for a particular grade. It is seldom necessary, however, to move more than one grade down. If the mean is substantially higher than the median, then some pupils will have…

This user-friendly guide offers advice and insight on developing defensible identification procedures and services for gifted and talented students. Special attention is given to the use of multiple methods including qualitative and quantitative assessments such as standardized measures (e.g. intelligence, aptitude, and achievement tests),…

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).…

Discussed are the need for standardized tests and the changes that will be needed for their proper implementation. The use of calculators on tests is advocated. Computer and calculator delivered examinations are also discussed. (KR)