In this article, the author argues first, that critical-thinking skills do exist independent of disciplinary thinking skills and are not compromised by interaction effects with the major; and second, that standardized tests (e.g., the Collegiate Learning Assessment, or CLA, which is his example throughout the article) are the best way to measure…

Pundits and bureaucrats use the results from international tests, particularly the PISA, to make claims about the quality of the public education system in the United States and make policy recommendations. In this article I argue, with evidence, that the scores and rankings from PISA are not important and that they cannot give policy makers or…

Reviews commercially available instruments to assess students' study skills/habits/behavior, finding that none completely meets the standards set by the American Psychological Association or the American Educational Research Association. Offers guidance on selecting and applying these instruments in college settings. (DMM)

The acting director of the National Center for Education Statistics, which oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress, views state-by-state test scores as an opportunity for state officials to compare their states to states with similar characteristics. (MLF)

Contends that state-by-state comparisons of National Assessment of Educational Progress test scores will lead to simplistic conclusions and an increase in teaching-to-the-test curriculums. (MLF)

Compares the use of writing samples and standardized tests for college English placement, arguing that a single writing sample is not sufficient for proper evaluation, and provides guidelines for using standardized tests appropriately and accurately. (HTH)

A three-year study compared entry-level and junior-level clinically oriented reading and writing skills of 231 medical students. Entry-level skills were found to be the best predictors of clinical skills. Inclusion of communication skills training in admission criteria and/or medical curriculum are recommended. (Author/MSE)

Discusses the tension between testing and literacy education, the deleterious influences of testing on the curriculum, and the lack of a firm relationship between improved test scores and improved educational experiences for students. Presents two alternative systems for evaluation of writing skills at the local and state level. Demonstrates the…

Achievement gaps in standardized tests consist of the differences between test scores of students of color and those of white students and between scores of poor children and those of their wealthier peers. Maylone determines student testing behaviors, herein referred to as TestThink, which reflect differences in students' abilities to behave in…

This discussion on the utility of educational vouchers to equalize educational opportunity focuses on the differences between public and private schools and whether vouchers address those differences. Data on public and private school student achievement are presented and examined in this context. It is suggested that American students have no…

Discusses national standardized testing versus testing reform and provides an overview of the alternative assessment movement and its relationship to the school library media specialist. Highlights include criticisms of standardized testing; theoretical assumptions for alternative assessment; research and practice related to specific alternative…

Criticizes the statistical procedures commonly employed to justify assumptions of the comparable validity and predictability of cognitive tests among different populations. (GC)

Examines Scotland's increasingly standardized national curriculum and testing reforms. Discusses centrally determined innovations, relationships between curriculum and assessment, reforms' effects on classroom, and teachers' role. Compares elements of encroaching "market model" reforms in England, Wales, and United States, suggesting…

Focusing on educational measurement that suggests an action and has an outcome, 16 problem areas are defined and grouped into the following classes: (1) validity; (2) issues of statistical adjustment; (3) data insufficiencies; (4) other issues related to standardized testing and constructed responses; and (5) technical issues of psychometrics.…

Describes longitudinal studies conducted at the Drexel Early Childhood Center (Pennsylvania) that used Self-Controlled Interactive Learning Systems to teach reading skills. Standardized test scores for at-risk students are compared with other students; experimental and control groups using standard instruction are compared; and studies of…