A survey was conducted of achievement testing practices in the intermediate and senior divisions of French-language Ontario schools. Grades 7-8 and grades 9-10 were discussed separately. Department heads, administrators, and board of education members were interviewed concerning the availability and curricular validity of the French-language…

Kindergarten pupils enrolled in Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I schools were selected for the Kindergarten Extended Day (KED) Program if they showed marked underachievement on the Cooperative Preschool Inventory (CPI). KED students attended kindergarten for an additional half day. Since previous evaluations of KED may have had…

This three-part paper consists of: (1) an annotated bibliography of tests for English as a Second Language and for learning ability, (2) a bibliography about second language testing, and (3) a list of ten principles for test construction and administration for those who wish to write their own tests. The bibliographies are not exhaustive, but the…

In this paper, the author reviews a number of criticisms that have been made of the use of standardized tests in the social studies and reviews 11 general, skills, and discipline-oriented standardized tests for social studies. Standardized tests evaluating the results of the new social studies courses are open to criticism on the basis of…

Specifying the purpose and uses to be made of a test prior to administration is of paramount importance when one considers the time administrators and teachers spend on selecting, developing, administering and scoring tests and the amount of student time required to complete the tests. Determination of how test results will be used should be made…

Materials intended for driving knowledge test development for use by operational licensing and education agencies are presented. A pool of 1,313 multiple choice test items is included, consisting of sets of specially developed and tested items covering principles of safe driving, legal regulations, and traffic control device knowledge pertinent to…

This is an interpretive manual designed to accompany the Test of Proficiency in English as a Second Language, a comprehensive test assessing production and perception skills in written and spoken English and intended for use in Grades 4-6 in Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. The manual is divided into three sections. Section one discusses English…

The nineteenth annual Western Regional Conference on Testing Problems focused on the evaluation of special educational strategies, particularly as they relate to problems of testing and measurement. "Better District Achievement Testing: Its Role" provides suggestions for the improvement of public school district testing programs.…

In a 3-year longitudinal study, approximately 300 kindergarten children were selected for testing in the kindergarten and first and second grades to determine predictor variables of future success in reading and arithmetic. Results of the research tended to indicate that age and intelligence test scores were not good predictors of first and second…

To develop and field test new assessment procedures for the 1969-70 Head Start national evaluation, a list of existing tests measuring selected social and emotional variables was compiled. Tests were selected on these criteria: (1) conceptual soundness, (2) relevance for preschool children, (3) whether disadvantaged children might be expected to…

This handbook was designed to assist practicing vocational educators in planning and preparing performance measures for evaluating the behavioral outcomes of instruction. It is particularly concerned with fulfilling the needs of individuals involved in manpower development and training programs. The nature of and need for performance testing is…

Twenty-seven instruments appropriate for measuring self-concept in children from the preschool level through the third grade are listed. Information concerning the purpose of the instrument, nature of the materials, groups for which it is intended, administration, scoring, interpretation, and standardization are included when available, together…

Because of the recent Lau vs. Nichols decision by the Supreme Court, school districts will be looking for various instruments to determine language functionality in bilingual students. Nine tests are reviewed: the Leiter International Performance Scale (LIPS), the Michigan Oral Language Productive Tests Structured Response, the Michigan Oral…

This manual on screening preschool children to identify their need for special education services presents key elements of an "ideal" screening program as well as practices to be avoided. Common barriers to implementation of each "ideal" practice are identified, and suggestions are provided for possible solutions. Topics covered include:…

Because of concerns about the validity of tests used in education and employment, a consultation on June 16, 1989, focused on tests of ability, achievement, and other skills. Invited experts were asked to address a set of issues common to both education and employment testing, primarily related to test construction procedures and how to establish…