This article compares Spanish proficiency assessments across three states (Texas, Arizona, and California) in relation to four overarching themes: (a) verification methods of proficiency; (b) test-task authenticity; (c) impact of pedagogical content knowledge in test performance; and (d) conceptions of language 'correctness' on the scoring…

The population of Spanish-speaking preschoolers in the United States continues to increase and there is a significant need to develop psychometrically sound early language and literacy screening measures to accurately capture children's ability in Spanish. In this paper, we describe the innovative design and calibration process of the new…

We expect that word knowledge accumulates gradually. This article draws on earlier approaches to assessing depth, but focuses on one dimension: richness of semantic knowledge. We present results from a study in which three distinct item types were developed at three levels of depth: knowledge of common usage patterns, knowledge of broad topical…

This study investigated some issues regarding the validity of the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) Subject Test: Korean with Listening. The SAT Korean has been administered just once a year since its inception in 1997. As of March 2006, it had been administered nine times. However, SAT foreign language tests are not as rigorously researched as…

FIFTY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN, RANGING IN AGE FROM 33 TO 56 MONTHS, PARTICIPATED IN A 7-MONTH PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THEIR LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL SKILLS. THE ILLINOIS TEST OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC ABILITIES, THE PEABODY PICTURE VOCABULARY TEST (FORM A), AND THE VANCE LANGUAGE SKILLS TEST MEASURED THE CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT IN…