Discusses the revision of the curriculum for college-bound students. States three apparent needs: conceptual knowledge, note- and test-taking skills, and critical thinking skills. Provides suggestions for developing these areas, devoting much attention to critical thinking. (GEA)

Examines why analytical thinking should be a major focus of teaching in the reading and writing classroom. (HOD)

The fact that the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is susceptible to coaching does not mean it is a poor test. The abilities measured by it are acquired, apart from test-wiseness. Even though some uses of the scores in admissions may be discriminatory, the test itself is fair, uniform, and judiciously administered. (MSE)

British students completed assessments examining the extent to which they could control variables and ways factors like question format and context affected their test performance. Factors within the questions, rather than skills themselves, led to large variations in facility. Aspects of the questions themselves were the most significant…

Describes the difficulties caused by educators holding to a view of teaching that assumes that there is one "pedagogically correct" way of running a classroom. Provides three examples of harmful pedagogical correctness ("untracked" classes, cooperative learning, and testing and test-wiseness). Argues that such dogmatic views of…

The current climate for excellence in education has set off a wave of reactions, especially in the demand for accountability based on the assessment of students' academic performance. The effects on one school district's summer school curriculum, and its implications for teachers, are discussed. (JL)

Test validity, coaching, the college admissions process, and achievement tests are discussed by the director of the Iowa Testing Programs. Data published on the SAT are examined. It is suggested that systematic instruction in problem-solving skills may improve not only test performance but also skills the test is designed to assess. (Author/MLW)

A group of eight educators and one law student discusses the most recent changes in the Scholastic Aptitude Test content and format, which will include a reasoning test and a battery of subject tests. Comments focus on general reactions, specific additions and deletions, test bias, implications for admissions, and coaching. (MSE)

Cohen and Hyman's response contains several misunderstandings of the original article by Mehrens and Kaminski. One frequently wishes to make inferences to a domain from a test, but teaching a specific performance and testing for that performance does not allow for a domain inference. (SLD)

So that comparisons of achievement test scores across campuses would be unaffected by variations in test preparation activities, the Austin Independent School District has set out to standardize all testwiseness instructions and practice testing across the school system. Appropriate preparation activity was defined as that which contributes to…

For the most part, standardized tests are verbal and presuppose that the test takers know the language, culture, and values of the test makers, who usually represent white, middle class language and values. The communication problems that minority groups face when taking standardized tests include phonological biases (especially when the tests are…

This document consists of 14 articles which appeared in the electronic news bulletin, "EducationNews.org," and which were part of a series on "Test Bashing," a discussion of the use of standardized tests that focuses on controversies surrounding the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills and test score improvements in Texas. The…

While some forms of test bias (for example, bias in selection and prediction) appear amenable to definitional consensus, a definition of cultural bias will remain problematic so long as it is confused with the nature/nurture issue. (Author/BW)

It is suggested that little attention is given to understanding student concerns about testing: what will be tested, and in what depth. Reexamination is indicated for the purposes of testing, test quality and frequency, and instructor autonomy. Tests are seen as powerful determinants of learning that are often not used appropriately. (MSE)

Observes that the improvement of reading scores is not a legitimate educational goal, notes that reading abilities are inseparable from other modes of linguistic expression, and proposes many types of activities for teaching language in a context involving increasing knowledge of the uses of language in different subjects. (GT)