The search for solutions to the perceived failures of American education of recent years indicates that the public senses there is something wrong with the educational system. Educators must examine testing in light of the fact that schools are getting poor results in terms of student achievement and, perhaps, change their view of what tests…

The importance of experience in the development of reading readiness skills acquisition is a well-documented, thoroughly reviewed topic in education literature today. Aside from the specific subject area of experience, there is very little current discussion on reading readiness skills and their relationship to standardized readiness classroom…

The paper examines issues, philosophy and guidelines for psychological assessment of the disabled. Focused on are: (1) adjustments in testing procedures and (2) applicability of standard norms with commonly used psychological test instruments for the assessment of ability, interest, and personality. The importance of accurate assessment for…

In exploring factors inhibiting formal evaluation at the school district level, and limiting the utility of conventional achievement monitoring, this paper begins with a review of the actual origin of the Elementary Secondary Education Act's (ESEA) evaluation requirements, and the attempts to implement national evaluation of ESEA Title I programs.…

Standardized test scores (STS) should be used on a local level: (1) as one component of evaluation of a student, school, or district; (2) to draw as much interpretive meaning from a norm-referenced test (NRT) as their structure will support; (3) as a communication device with students, parents, the public, and professional staff; (4) to check…

Fear of poor teaching and low national test scores have spawned a back to basics movement and a shift from the use of tests as predictors and models to that of assessment and achievement. This movement may have positive impact on the teaching of English, which previously has not lent itself well to standardized testing. Although many English…

Addresses South Carolina's Educational Improvement Act of 1984, at risk in the context of four considerations: (1) the seduction of test scores; (2) the issue of teacher pay, particularly incentive pay; (3) the real tasks of intervention; and (4) the expectations of leadership. (JK)

Discuss seven basic intellectual competencies possessed by all human beings: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Because I.Q. tests can measure only the first two qualities, this interview suggests evaluating schools by quality of educational experiences and students by project…

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)

Claims tests in this country have become political weapons instead of tools designed to assess the value and progress of current curricula. Calls for teachers to take charge of the tools (tests) to use them for the benefit of their students. (NH)

Tests producing results that are used to make important decisions about students, schools, and curricula should not be developed locally by teachers. Although district educators at all levels need to become familiar with measurement nuances, the development of high stakes tests is best left to measurement professionals. Includes four references.…

Standardized intelligence quotient tests should be supplemented and/or replaced by new tests that (1) emphasize the consequentiality of test material and speed selection rather than speed, (2) minimize demands on prior knowledge and test anxiety, and (3) measure intelligence according to three general classes: problem-solving ability, verbal…

Offers personal reflections on the testing of writing, concluding that teachers make wide and effective use of a variety of test types. (FL)

Presents a historical overview of the introduction of the major reading comprehension assessments, showing that the predominant approaches were shaped by the prevailing educational measurement milieu and were implemented largely in response to public pressure. Argues in favor of a naturalistic reading comprehension assessment for evaluating those…

Districts must hire "highly qualified teachers" to implement "research-based best practices" using "data-driven decisions" to positively impact student achievement. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 has provided educators a whole new set of catch phrases. As states, districts, and educators work to define…