At the outset of his thoughtful and thought-provoking article, Haertel (this issue) clearly identifies the issue with which he will be dealing: The disjunct, or gap, in current approaches to evaluating the merits of a given test, between the intended uses of that test and the validity of its score-based interpretations. The author thinks that…

Kane's paper "Validating the Interpretations and Uses of Test Scores" is the most complete and clearest discussion yet available of the argument-based approach to validation. At its most basic level, validation as formulated by Kane is fundamentally a simply-stated two-step enterprise: (1) specify the claims inherent in a particular interpretation…

The author is deeply gratified by the commentators' thoughtful responses and finds almost nothing to disagree with in any of them. Each offers additional insights prompting further reflection. In drawing out just a few common themes, this brief rejoinder omits many important ideas from the individual contributions. As stated in his title, the…

This response to the comments contains three main sections, each addressing a subset of the comments. In the first section, I will respond to the comments by Brennan, Haertel, and Moss. All of these comments suggest ways in which my presentation could be extended or improved; I generally agree with their suggestions, so my response to their…

Examines the role of psychological testing within the business environment. Outlines four guidelines for people who use tests to make decisions about other people: (1) use a broad-brush approach; (2) look for the whole person; (3) do not rely on testing alone; and (4) let people see their results. (CT)

Despite the controversy over standardized testing, a 1970 survey indicates that teachers still need and want to use tests as diagnostic tools. Because of problems and abuses, however, changes need to be made so that more accurate and useful information can be derived for educational purposes. (Author/GC)

A brief, nontechnical state-of-the-art review of four common instruments and current practices in the field of scholastic aptitude testing is presented. The instruments include: the 1971 Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT), 1973 Henmon-Nelson Tests of Mental Ability (H-NTMA), 1979 Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) and the 1970 Short Form Test of…

Presents critical analysis of an earlier article, and argues that, although the validity of the High/Low distinction is questionable, it is possible for practical testing purposes to obtain reliable judgments from properly selected and trained judges. (seven references) (GLR)

Because testing and the use of test results are controversial subjects, parents and advocates must exercise considerable care when working to assure that tests are appropriately used in public elementary and secondary schools. One should guard against making assumptions which may have been created by widely publicized reports about test abuse.…

Neuropsychological tests taping intellectual, language, perceptual, and motor processing of a learning disabled child are described. The use of the test results to formulate remedial strategies is outlined. The application of ideas presented by other authors in the Summer 1981 issue of "School Psychology Review" is demonstrated. (Author/AL)

Testing and assessment have become extremely important components of the educational program. The purpose of this position paper is to provide factual and policy-related information that may be of use to school boards as they design or improve their districts' testing and assessment policies. It is the New York State policy that school boards…

This paper looks at using descriptions of subject matter content to assist in the development and interpretation of student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). These descriptions of content, called achievement level descriptions (ALDs), were initially conceptualized as exemplary statements of the knowledge and…

In response to J. J. Cannell's (1988) discussion of the reported "above average" achievement of the vast majority of public school systems nationwide, the nature of national norms is discussed. The public must be better informed about the interpretation of test results. (SLD)

Focuses on the appropriate use of tests to evaluate a program according to the overall goals, approaches, and specific instructional contents of that particular program. The article emphasizes that often test results are viewed as indicators of the success or failure of a program without considering whether the aims of that program and the…

The Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE) gain statistic is examined, and considerations for its interpretation are highlighted. The NCE gain is made up of an observed and an expected part. The observed score is the posttest result. The expected score can never be observed nor verified for any of the Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) models;…