Timely identification of children with disabilities is required by federal special education law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400, 2004). During COVID-19, school psychologists have been faced with the challenge of completing valid, comprehensive, and diagnostic assessments when traditional methods are not…

There is a priority for schools to address students' social and emotional needs as is done for academic learning. Tiered models of prevention provide a framework for teaching social skills and behavioral expectations, as well as academics, with positive, proactive, evidence-based practices. Central to responding to students' needs is accurate…

There is a priority for schools to address students' social and emotional needs as we do academic learning. Tiered models of prevention provide a framework for teaching social skills and behavioral expectations, as well as academics, with positive, proactive, evidence-based practices. Central to responding to students' needs is accurate…

Assessments come in many forms in part because they serve many purposes, and those purposes often vary by the stakeholders they support. Students, parents, teachers, and school, district and state leaders may all be end users of the information provided by various assessments. This brief supports state leaders' understanding of assessments by…

This guide is designed to assist States, agencies, and/or facilities who work with youth who are neglected, delinquent, or at-risk (N or D). The information in the guide will benefit those who are (a) interested in implementing pre-posttests, (b) in the process of identifying an appropriate pre-posttest, or (c) ready to evaluate current testing…

Nine preschool and school-age language assessment tools found to have acceptable levels of identification accuracy were evaluated to determine their overall levels of psychometric validity for use in diagnosing the presence/absence of language impairment. Eleven specific criteria based on those initially devised by McCauley and Swisher (1984) were…

While formal, standardized assessment instruments provide valuable and necessary information about students' various abilities and skills, the use of informal and qualitative assessment approaches has the benefit of leading directly to instruction based squarely on an individual student's needs, strengths, and existing skills. This article…

Hillsborough (Florida) County Public Schools used a systematic process to choose a standardized test that matched its curriculum. (Author)

Global achievement tests are best used for broad purposes (program evaluation) or purposes such as screening which will be followed up with more precise instruments. (SB)

Assessment instruments should be selected on the basis of test design variables (such as date of development and content sequence), test construction variables (including standardization results), examinee-related variables (such as prerequisite skills and vocabulary level), examiner-related variables (including preparation and skills), and…

Describes and evaluates the Spellmaster Assessment and Teaching System, a program for testing and teaching spelling at elementary, middle/junior, and senior high school levels. Concludes that although Spellmaster might be useful in clinical applications, its use in developmental, whole language programs is questionable. (MM)

The Center for the Study of Evaluation (CSE) compiled a catalog of existing criterion referenced tests (CRT) and other objectives-based tests for use in kindergarten through grade 12. CSE consulted publishers' catalogs, bibliographies, and test lists, and conducted computer searches of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) and…

Adopting a new series of tests can raise student test scores. Scores can also be inflated by ensuring certain students do not take specific tests or by not counting some scores. Dramatic rises in standardized scores are likely to be accompanied by skepticism. (MD)

The authors describe sources of information about tests. They note the existence of test publishers' manuals, Mental Measurement Yearbooks (including online updates), Tests in Print, and computerized databases of the Educational Resources Information Center and the Educational Testing Service. An annotated list of compendia of instruments and…