Traditional tests fall into two categories, both of which have several advantages and disadvantages that need to be considered when determining the type of test to use. Constructed-response tests, such as essay tests, ask students to construct their own responses. Thus, students are required not only to recall but to organize and often apply…

This article presents the perspective that the quality of teacher-made, small classroom tests has not improved, and may have declined in recent years. This decline may be due to the fact that teachers have come to believe that the kinds of objective items used in national standardized tests are the only item types appropriate for classroom use.…

Basically, test directors have four systemwide and building level responsibilities: (1) planning, administration and evaluation of standardized testing programs; (2) application of measurement and evaluation to school problems; (3) classroom testing and evaluation; and (4) external testing programs. In a series of brief memos, measurement and…

Elementary and secondary teachers (N=323) were surveyed to determine teacher use of post hoc classroom test statistics and the relationship of inservice practices to background and instructional characteristics. Results indicate teachers do not analyze test results by methods prescribed by measurement specialists. Implications for preservice…

Rudman and colleagues (1980) deplored the paucity of descriptive information relative to teachers' test use patterns. The present study addresses the abundant prescriptive, and lack of descriptive information concerning teacher testing. A mailed survey procedure gathered testing practice information from elementary and secondary South Dakota…

The role of testing in American education is becoming increasingly important in grouping students for educational purposes. This article reviews practices adopted by educators or administrators to improve student test scores. Stopgap measures for improving standardized test scores include (1) switching to easier tests; (2) eliminating certain…

The four chapters in this resource book provide general considerations for the development of teacher-made achievement tests in science for students with visual, hearing, and/or orthopedic impairments. Chapter 1 focuses on changes in classroom testing by considering the testing of handicapped students, norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced…

The nature and quality of teacher-developed tests was studied in a national sample of 228 teachers representing four grade levels and several subjects. Teachers described their patterns of test use, concerns about assessment, and use of performance testing. Teacher-developed performance assessment was heavily used. (Author/GDC)

The use of national achievement tests in schools can result in varying degrees of curricular match/mismatch with respect to local curricula. This article explores the types of mismatch which can occur, discusses the inferences made from test scores and their importance, and addresses some implications for the educational community. (EGS)

This handbook is intended primarily for the classroom teacher and the school principal. The focus of the book is on the evaluation of students as they pass through elementary and secondary school. It includes suggestions for the classroom teacher in developing tests and other assessment measures. It deals with a range of educational objectives in…

Intended as a guide in the development of a sound evaluation program utilizing both instructor-produced and standardized tests, this booklet presents a practical, understandable rationale for the development and use of both kinds of testing in the educational setting. Section I discusses the functions of measurement, offering a rationale for…

The National Education Association (NEA) opposes the use of standardized, norm-referenced tests of intelligence, achievement, and aptitude, citing problems with their substance, structure, administration, and use. NEA suggests five alternatives: (1) performance contracts; (2) teacher-student and teacher-parent-student interviews; (3)…

This paper presents a summary of findings from a review of approximately 225 studies addressing the knowledge and skills of classroom teachers for kindergarten through grade 12 related to the development and use of teacher-made tests. The findings from the review suggest that little change in teachers' testing competence has occurred in the…

This paper summarizes some of the issues involved in educational testing. First, it describes four of the fundamental characteristics of tests: whether they are measures of aptitude or achievement, whether they require students to produce or just recognize the best answer, whether they are interpreted in relationship to the scores of other…

Locally developed occupational tests were administered to 16- and 17-year-olds in a government-sponsored vocational education program in the United Kingdom over a six-month period in 1984. Job skills were tested in two occupational areas: use of a micrometer and invoice completion. Some performance tests were designed by researchers and some by…