Criticizes the Mitchell and Lawson (1988) report from the viewpoint of individual interview method. Provides Lawson's reply to the comment by showing differences in research philosophy and methods. (YP)

Presents a critical appraisal of Herrnstein and Murray's "The Bell Curve" (1994) and of its analyses of social class, ethnic differences, and public policy proposals. It refutes as cultural superstition the book's theories on the role of intelligence in the social stratification of postindustrial America and the effects of IQ on social…

This three-part report discusses the concept of intelligence and its importance for educators. Part 1 considers the basic question of what intelligence is. Part 2 discusses the implications of notions of intelligence for schooling, dealing with both the training of content knowledge and the training of intellectual skills. Each of these first two…

Examines The GAR, which is intended as a group assessment of reading ability for elementary and secondary school students in the areas of reading level, comprehension, study skills, and reading interests. Concludes that the test has many shortcomings. (FL)

The merits and hazards of minimum competency testing for the individual student or for student groups are discussed. Types of groups which lend themselves to group application and some important factors in determining the parameters of a group are discussed. Ten critical issues related to minimum competency testing are identified: (1) scope of…

It is argued that achievement test means, based on group scores, or other district-wide summary scores do not provide valid measures for diagnosing curriculum weaknesses nor for initiating curriculum changes. Group scores are probably valid for some purposes, but should not be used as criterion variables for evaluating the effectiveness of…