Standardized college-level tests of thinking have serious drawbacks, but they can be used effectively to compare results with other teachers or researchers and to suggest possible ways of measuring aspects of thinking in faculty-constructed tests. Faculty-designed tests should provide opportunities for students to use the important knowledge and…

Commercial achievement tests often provide limited instructional guidance and seldom provide feedback specific to any given classroom. The most instructionally relevant achievement tests are those developed by an individual teacher for use with a particular class. This digest describes the steps of test construction and presents suggestions for…

This module developed by the Research Applications for Teaching (RAFT) project assists the preservice teacher in constructing test items to better measure the outcomes of instructional objectives. Student teachers are also assisted in the interpretation of results of a student's performance on a standardized test. Students also…

Methods for detecting copying of multiple-choice test responses are reviewed and compared with respect to their effectiveness and the practicality of their application for groups of varying sizes. Reasons why effective detection methods are seldom applied in standardized and classroom testing are discussed. (SLD)

Argues that reliance on the outcome of quantitative standardized tests to assess student performance is misplaced quest for certainty in an uncertain world. Reviews and lauds Canadian teacher-devised qualitative diagnostic tool, "Profiles of Student Behaviors," composed of 20 behavioral patterns in student knowledge, attitude, and skill.…

This leaflet describes simple techniques for developing children's ability to do well on tests, as derived from research done through the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Suggestions for parents are divided into five sections: (1) Why Test?; (2) Ask the School; (3) Avoid Test Anxiety; (4) Do's and Don'ts; and (5) After the Test.…

The cost of achieving high quality at numerous levels of large-scale assessment has been astronomical--in dollars spent and opportunities lost. Educators have all but ignored assessments developed by classroom teachers. Students can become motivated by becoming involved in classroom-based assessment, record keeping, and communication. (Contains 11…

In schools today, tests are being used for a variety of reasons, such as an indication of school accountability and also to track students, label them, or place them in specialized programs. Excessive dependence on test outcomes can adversely effect students' educational goals and contribute to their disengagement from education, because (among…

This paper describes conventions in the scoring of classroom tests and of the achievement batteries used in school districts', testing programs in the U.S. The scales used for the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the American College Testing Program are described. Some new, criterion-referenced scales developed for state and national assessments are…

Teacher-developed tests can be more valid and reliable than standardized tests or state-mandated tests in evaluating student achievement in science. Many teachers, however, are not acquainted with the standards to use in test writing. The National Research Council has released "Classroom Assessment and the National Education Standards," a…

This report discusses the attitudes of Wyoming teachers toward tests and their use. The teachers' educational background in tests and measurement; the use of tests by teachers; and the classroom testing practices of teachers were evaluated. A questionnaire was developed and administered. The results indicated that Wyoming teachers' testing…

This handbook for teachers of kindergarten through grade twelve was developed to assist those who administer or construct tests. The publication was written in response to a Montgomery County Public Schools citizens' advisory committee recommendation that reflected concern about the need to improve students' test-taking skills. The handbook…

This paper reports the development and testing of measures of teachers' attitudes toward testing and appropriate use of tests. A random sample of 555 practicing teachers in Wyoming were surveyed by mail (81 percent response rate). Five subscales assessing attitudes toward use of classroom and standardized tests were identified: (1) standardized…

Teachers have been in the era of accountability for some time. There is an increased demand for accountability and the use of non-referenced testing with President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" initiatives. However, there is a growing demand for less reliance on standardized tests. Admission decisions to colleges and universities are…

Studies of teacher use of tests suggest that classroom tests are widely used and standardized test results are rarely used. Previous comparisons of preservice and inservice teachers' attitudes toward assessment suggest few differences. Differences in opinions about the use of classroom and standardized tests were assessed via surveys of three…