These quarterly bulletins provide brief annotations for tests of the following types recently acquired by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Test Collection: achievement; aptitude; personality, interests, attitudes, and opinions; and miscellaneous, sensory-motor, and unidentified. To provide information about instruments for those engaged in…

Georg Rasch has developed a new one-parameter latent trait model to explain the performance of examinees on achievement tests. The model can be viewed as a special case of Birnbaum's two-parameter logistic model where all items are assumed to have equal discriminating power. Birnbaum's model permits items to vary in discriminating power. Both…

This quarterly bulletin lists and provides brief annotations for the instruments recently acquired by the Test Collection, a specialized library of tests and test related information. Types of tests listed are: Achievement; Aptitude; Personality, Interests, Aptitudes and Opinions; and Sensory-Motor. Other information includes announcements of new…

It is argued that aptitude and achievement tests designed for much older students are invaluable for finding extremely high ability at younger ages, particularly in mathematical and verbal reasoning. Results of the first two years of the Study of Mathematically and Scientifically Precocious Youth (SMSPY) are examined to show that considerable…

The battery of the Illinois Statewide High School Testing Program is designed to provide measures fundamental to testing at the junior level. Tests will yield nine scores: verbal reasoning, grammar, usage, English total, natural science, social studies, problem solving, mathematical reasoning, and mathematics total. Testing will be administered in…

The testing of every fourth-grade classroom in Massachusetts was carried out in an effort to answer the following questions: (1) What are the levels of mastery of basic skills in Massachusetts fourth grades? Are there differences in achievement between skills?; (2) What educational needs can be inferred for Massachusetts' students, based on basic…

This quarterly bulletin provides brief annotations for tests recently acquired by the Educational Testing Service Test Collection grouped under the following types: achievement; aptitude; personality, interests, attitudes, and opinions; miscellaneous, sensory-motor, and unidentified. Entries of interest to those working with young children are…

A new multiple abilities battery, the Comprehensive Ability Battery, is described, and the results of five criterion-related validity studies using eleven tests of the battery are reported. (Author/JKS)

This paper is concerned with the norm-referenced, standardized achievement, aptitude, and intelligence tests that are being administered to elementary and secondary school children in our schools today. Why do school systems continue the use of standardized tests despite all the abuse being heaped on the practice? (Author)

Looks at some facts, attempts to analyze some dilemmas, and makes some recrommendations with regard to the school effectiveness controversy, i.e., whether schools are effective in educating students and in being a joyful and productive educational experience. (Author/RK)

Discusses the difficulties that arise when tests designed for one purpose are used for another. Points out that tests reflect the characteristics of the institutions that use them and emphasizes the need for more careful design of actual instructional programs as well as of the tests intended to assess learning. (Author/GC)

A mental ability test and an achievement battery were administered to a large sample of grades 4, 7, and 10 students from a midwestern province in Canada. Findings, in general, showed higher achievement in a majority of subtests with no sex and jurisdiction interactions. (Author/LMO)

An analysis of a survey of assessment practices of 131 school psychologists revealed that they most often used the Wechsler Scales to identify gifted, gifted/learning disabled, and learning disabled students despite the availability of newly developed tests. A number of training needs relating to assessment were also identified. (Author/VW)

Offers strategies for improving student scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Covers three areas: improvement in instructional quality in high schools; analysis and refinement of opportunities for students to demonstrate and practice test-taking skills; and enhancement of understanding and support among parents, community, and staff. (PGD)

A survey of journal articles appearing in "Psychological Abstracts" from 1969-73 was made for purposes of identifying those psychological instruments that were most often used in research with adolescents (ages 13-19). (Author/DB)