In this volume are papers derived from the Harvard University Faculty Seminar on the Coleman Report. The Carnegie Corporation provided funds to support a faculty seminar for the academic year 1966-1967. Out of this seminar developed this present collection of articles written by a number of outstanding educators bearing on the main themes of the…

This study investigated the relationship of dialect and race of five and six-year old boys to a listener's ability to report the oral response of boys to ten vocabulary items from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). A group of 20 black and 20 white college students viewed videotapes of eight first grade boys who represented four…

Gender differences in level and pattern of cognitive abilities were examined in 49 learning-disabled college students. Females were stronger in visual-motor abilities and verbal conceptualization, whereas the males' highest abilities were nonverbal visual-spatial. Both groups showed weaknesses in memory for digits and factual knowledge and in…

This collection of papers includes: "Introduction: Why Should We Discuss 'Urban Literacy' in Developmental Education?" (Dana Britt Lundell and Jeanne L. Higbee); "History of the Center for Research on Developmental Education and Urban Literacy: 1996-2002" (Dana Britt Lundell); "The Traveling City: The Hudson's Store, Urban…

The role of standardized tests in American education is being challenged as many feel that they are unfair and actually reinforce and legitimize existing inequalities. The Educational Testing Service, the SAT, meritocracy, test coaching, and economic bias are discussed. (MLW)

Questionnaire results from l04 psychologists serving the blind and partially sighted indicated disagreement on the tests used and on the evaluation of these tests. Tests of all kinds from 45 publishers were rated, and appropriate ages and populations (blind, partially-sighted) were suggested. (CP)

Criticizes and examines the motives behind Charles Murray's "The Bell Curve." Murray's book claimed that many social problems, including crime and poverty among blacks, could be explained by African Americans' lack of intelligence as evidenced by testing. Reveals the book's skewed methodology as well as its interest-guided financial…

Proposes a structural model of intelligence based on the significant aspects of Blacks' cognitive development. Discusses alternative perspectives on the understanding of macro-level activities, modifications in the general approach to cognitive assessment, and the formulation of pedagogical guidelines. (FMW)

Criticizes Charles Murray's "The Bell Curve" and attempts a more cogent analysis of the respective roles of blacks and the U.S. political economy. Utilizes a sociology of knowledge framework to discuss the evolving nature of blacks in the nation's workforce. Briefly discusses eugenics and the history of racist social theories. (MJP)

In this article, major laws, regulations, court cases, policies and practices related to intelligence testing of African American students in California are reviewed. A California Department of Education (CDE) ban on intelligence testing of African American students for the purpose of determining special education eligibility is in effect and…

This fact sheet lists problems involved in the use of standardized tests. It is argued that standardized tests are not really fair and helpful evaluation tools because they reward the ability to answer superficial questions quickly and do not measure the ability to think or create in any field. They also assume that all test takers have been…

This fastback reference analyzes contrasting opinions about educational assessment and testing in the light of available evidence. The reform of student assessment is an essential component of the revitalization of American schools. Accountability issues relate to the proliferation of testing and the increasing use of high-stakes tests for policy…

The relationships between intellectual and demographic variables of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) were examined. Subjects were 2,200 children in the WISC-R standardization sample. Four multiple regression analyses were performed between Full Scale and Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, and Freedom from…

Noting that accurate procedures for predicting reading ability in school settings are necessary for a variety of purposes, this paper reviews methods for predicting reading ability and presents a new, more precise model for use at the second grade level. First, the paper defines reading expectancy as an informed estimate of the level of reading…

A written intelligence test with verbal, reasoning, and spatial subscales was administered to two comparable national samples of 1,000 thirteen-year olds in Sweden, tested in 1961 and in 1966. The increases were greater for girls than for boys, and the changes occurred simultaneously with several changes in social and educational conditions. To…