The president of the University of California proposes that colleges and universities abandon their use of the SAT I in assessing applicants, and several other higher education officials respond. (EV)

Asks some local experts (Massachusetts English teachers) to talk about the impact of the new Massachusetts high-stakes test, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), and about how they are dealing with this in their classrooms and schools. Concludes that English educators must work to understand and address the issues these tests…

Standardized writing tests helps educators to learn how well their students' will be scored and how well they can apply assessment techniques in their own classrooms. Students can use assessment as an instruction tool in order to generate a scoring rubric of their own, which fosters critical thinking and formative self-assessment abilities that…

This article examines the standardized high-stakes testing in the wake of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) movement. It focuses on the political economy of the testing industry; that is, a look into the ownership, intent, and regulation of the private forces that produce, provide materials, prep sessions, and tutorials for and evaluate, report on,…

Even though Joel lived a continent away, many sixth-graders at a Title I school in California could easily identify with his life of poverty. Their empathy motivated them to launch an ambitious charitable project, which, Mr. Mitchell argues, had far greater educational value than the relentless test preparation that is standard fare in most…

There is a great deal of concern on the part of not only educators, but also politicians, counselors, psychologists, researchers, members of boards of education, and parents, regarding current issues concerning kindergarten education. Central to these issues is the push for academics. With this push has come standardized testing, workbooks, and a…

Diagnostic judgments are often based on the comparison of two measures in order to judge whether the individual shows a genuine discrepancy in the traits or characteristics that the two measures represent. Until a perfect psychometric battery comes along, psychometricians can offer some guidance on the level of confidence to be placed in…

An historical overview is presented of criticisms arising during an early period of large-scale standardized testing in the United States: the post World War II period when the Educational Testing Service was established. Not only is a brief description of the controversy provided, but the fact that many problems of assessment are not transient…

The author reviews the advantages and disadvantages of standardized reading tests, with special reference to the new national reading tests designed by the Assessment of Performance Unit of the Department of Education and Science. (SJL)

Outlines the problems England and Wales are facing with primary- and secondary-level standardized testing, in particular, whether brighter students should be given a more difficult test, and whether current English curriculum prepares students adequately for it. (JC)

"Tomorrow's Teachers: A Report of the Holmes Group" is criticized for its unnecessarily confusing language, its overemphasis on knowledge acquisition, and its acceptance of only one model of teacher education. (MT)

Differences in test scores can be attributed to various causes, including genuine knowledge differences, test-taking abilities, and irrelevant and biased questions. The Golden Rule reform is a safeguard to ensure that standardized tests measure relevant knowledge differences between test takers and not irrelevant, culturally specific factors. (JAZ)

School effectiveness cannot be assessed by comparing group performances on standardized tests. Instead, each child's progress, in accordance with his or her capabilities, should be measured. Certain assessment models can help chart individuals' progress in reading and writing. Focusing on individual results enchances collective program assessment.…

Offers the final word on the measurement-driven instruction (MDI) debate in this "Kappan" issue. Claims that Popham's article is internally inconsistent and provides no examples of well-constructed, instructionally illuminative tests. Also lacking are teacher testimonials and evidence that MDI programs are cost-effective or oriented…

Focuses on areas of conjugal/family structure and process that are important for assessment but for which there exist relatively few standardized tests or procedures. Hopes to stimulate researchers to develop instruments and procedures designed specifically to evaluate those aspects of marital/family process that, as yet, have not received their…