The statewide implementation of the Georgia State Board of Education (GSBE) policy for high school graduation requirements was begun in September, 1980. It specifically stated that the GSBE would be responsible for assessing the basic skills, or learner skills, of students enrolled in public schools. It further stated that each local school system…

This resource guide was designed for teachers and administrators in Arizona school districts to assist them in preparing functional and meaningful programs of student achievement testing. The format of the guide is based on fundamental questions often posed by educators regarding norm-referenced and criterion-referenced testing. Particular…

The need for better validation of professional licensing and certification examinations is discussed in Part I. Predictive criterion-related validation studies are difficult to develop, time consuming, impractical and expensive. Since training and knowledge variables are not necessarily sufficient to predict job proficiency, it appears logical to…

The State Summary of Results presents a compilation of the scores of Michigan's fourth and seventh grade students who participated in the educational assessment along with discussion of the possible meaning and significance of the results. It also attempts to respond to the controversy which has surrounded the assessment program since its…

The test-development process used to develop criterion-referenced tests in reading for a large-city school district's system-wide testing program is described. Two types of instruments were developed: (a) a measure of students' ability to read text-books at their assigned grade levels and (b) tests of enabling skills emphasized in the basal…

Contents of this book include the following collection of articles: "Assessing Minority Group Children: Challenges for School Psychologists," Thomas Oakland; "The NEA Testing Moratorium," Boyd Bosma; "Cultural Myopia: The Need for a Corrective Lens," Martin H. Gerry; "Assumptions Underlying Psychological Testing," T. Ernest Newland;…

The purposes for which test data should be used were described as: test should provide a learning experience for the child taking the test, the teacher giving the test, and the parents of the child. It should also provide information useful to school administrators, school boards, and state and national educational agencies. The state-mandated…

The results of a study which used the regression discontinuity model in the analysis of criterion-referenced test data are presented and inherent drawbacks in the use of the regression discontinuity model with this type of data are discussed. The discussion is based on the results of an analysis of data collected in the Mesa, Arizona School…

To investigate performance patterns on strands of the mathematics curriculum, locally developed criterion-referenced benchmark tests were administered to all kindergarten through fourth graders in the Minneapolis public schools. Total test scores and strand scores were analyzed by ethnic group, gender, and socioeconomic status. (Author/BS)

The academic achievement of students in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) is reported using their scores on the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS), the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency (TAP), the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), and the Scholastic…

Both norm-referenced and criterion-referenced interpretations of student, school, district, and state testing data can be improved by customizing the traditional norm-referenced test. Improvements that can be made include: (1) increasing the relevance of the test to the curriculum and (2) having greater confidence in the national comparative…

This manual is designed to accompany Pennsylvania's Educational Quality Assessment (EQA) elementary school reports to assist in their interpretation and understanding. The normative sample is described as stratified on two dimensions: district enrollment and wealth. Administration procedures are summarized. The cognitive and non-cognitive areas…

This manual is designed to accompany Pennsylvania's Educational Quality Assessment (EQA) secondary school reports to assist in their interpretation and understanding. The normative sample is described as stratified on two dimensions: district enrollment and wealth. Administration procedures are summarized. The cognitive and non-cognitive areas…

This guide is intended to provide vocational administrators with general information about the current state of competency-based test development and specific information about selected products and services that are available or under development. The general information section deals with the types of test products and services that are…

This document contains five papers describing the customization of the achievement testing program for Palm Beach County (Florida) Schools. They are as follows: "Customized Achievement Testing Programs" (S. Jean Jolly); "Using the Rasch Model to Develop Curriculum-Referenced Norms" (R. Robert Rentz); "Matching Standardized…