ERIC Documents Database Citations & Abstracts for Test Selection
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ED358127 TM019907
A Model for Review and Selection of Tests for School District Use.
Baker, Michele C.; And Others
Apr 1993
16p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American
Educational Research Association (Atlanta, GA, April 12-16, 1993).
Document Type: EVALUATIVE REPORT (142); CONFERENCE PAPER (150);
TEST, QUESTIONNAIRE (160)
In 1992, the Leon County School District in Tallahassee (Florida)
began a review process to select a new norm-referenced test. The
selection process was efficient and functional, and may be of
interest to other school districts. Consideration was given to a
variety of sources through the following process steps: (1) establish
the norm-referenced test steering committee; (2) establish the
process for test review and selection, objectives for the testing,
and criteria for test selection; (3) conduct a technical and
preliminary test review; (4) conduct a content review for critical
curriculum match; (5) review presentations by publishers; (6) provide
service documentation from users and publishers' negotiations; and
(7) produce a final recommendation, pilot and phase-in plan, and
teacher review of final selection. Evaluations by Steering Committee
members confirm that the selection process was effective, fair, and
efficient. Five appendixes contain summaries of objectives,
criteria, and the process; a test review rating chart; and the
curriculum/test match worksheet. (SLD)
Descriptors: Content Analysis; Educational Objectives; Elementary
Secondary Education; Evaluation Criteria; Guidelines; Mathematics
Curriculum; *Models; *Norm Referenced Tests; Pilot Projects; Public
Schools; *School Districts; Test Content; Test Reviews; *Test
Selection; Test Use
Identifiers: Curriculum Related Testing; *Leon County School
District FL
EJ440381 SP521044
Tools for the Selection and Evaluation of Standardized Tests.
McDermand, Robert V.
Contemporary Education, v62 n4 p301-05 Sum 1991
ISSN: 0010-7476
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); DIRECTORY (132)
Lists comprehensive guides, catalogs, and printed and online
databases for use by individuals who do not have an extensive
background in tests and measurement. The guides provide lists of
tests for specific subject areas, grade levels, and purposes. The
article includes availability information for resources. (SM)
Descriptors: Achievement Tests; *Databases; *Directories;
Elementary Secondary Education; *Guides; *Standardized Tests; Student
Evaluation; Test Content; *Test Selection
ED332749 JC910268
Standardized Testing. The Teacher's & Instructor's Guide.
Rubadeau, Duane O.; And Others
College of New Caledonia, Prince George (British Columbia). Centre
for Improved Teaching. 1990
31p.
Document Type: TEACHING GUIDE (052)
Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
Designed to assist community college practitioners in understanding
and utilizing standardized test results for making instructional,
guidance, and administrative decisions, this three-part guidebook
examines the uses of test results, the evaluation of standardized
tests, and procedures for interpreting test scores. Section I
discusses the reporting of test performance, and reviews the
functions of number ordering and ranking as they relate to test
scoring. This section includes an examination of the nominal,
ordinal, interval, and ratio measuring scales, and the data
organizing procedures of two-way classification, qualitative
classification, ranking, and scores expressed in uniform units.
Section II reviews factors to consider when selecting a test,
presents a 14-item test evaluation outline, cites sources for
information about tests, and describes test evaluation criteria,
including content validity, construct validity, predictive validity,
face validity, reliability, standardization, and norms. The final
section presents a 12-step test interpretation procedure oriented
around student involvement (i.e., a procedure that allows students to
apply the test results to their own educational, vocational, and
personal circumstances and decisions). The 12 steps include
discussing the test; inquiring about students' feelings while taking
the test and their perceptions of why the test was selected;
discussing norm groups; asking students to estimate their
performance; discussing the use of ranges in test interpretation;
providing self-estimate forms; and discussing actual scores. A list
of sources for information about standardized tests is appended.
(PAA)
Descriptors: Community Colleges; Elementary Secondary Education;
Foreign Countries; *Standardized Tests; Teaching Guides; Testing
Problems; *Test Interpretation; Test Norms; *Test Reliability; Test
Results; *Test Selection; *Test Use; *Test Validity; Two Year
Colleges; Two Year College Students
ED313572 CE053854
Assessment Models & Instruments: Adult Populations.
Nurss, Joanne R.
Georgia State Univ., Atlanta. Center for the Study of Adult
Literacy. 29 Nov 1989
11p.; Adapted from a paper presented at the Assessment Issues Forum
(Macon, GA, November 29, 1989). The one page reference list contains
light, broken type.
Document Type: POSITION PAPER (120); CONFERENCE PAPER (150)
Several issues should be considered in selecting assessment
instruments and procedures for use in adult literacy programs.
Teachers must consider the purpose of the assessment; the
appropriateness of the assessment instrument for adults; the
reliability, validity, and practicality of the instrument; whether
the assessment is culturally sensitive; and whether the assessment
instrument is congruent with the instruction given. An effective
assessment model for adults consists of several different types of
assessment, giving the instructor a multiple view of the adult's
literacy achievement and instructional needs. A selection of the
following types of assessment can be used with adults: standardized,
norm-referenced tests; other reading tests; locally developed
measures; workplace and other functional literacy assessment; job or
life simulation; work samples; observation of students; informal
reading inventories; and follow-up of students. An assessment model
for adult populations needs to include multiple sources of data,
using instruments and procedures that are appropriate for adults and
that adhere to the principles of assessment. Assessment is used for
planning instruction and can help the student see progress and be
motivated to remain in the program. (KC)
Descriptors: Adult Basic Education; Adult Literacy; *Adult Students;
Educational Testing; Evaluation Methods; Literacy Education; Reading
Achievement; Reading Diagnosis; *Reading Tests; *Student Evaluation;
*Test Format; Test Reliability; *Test Selection; *Test Use; Test
Validity
ED307980 PS018030
Assessment in Early Childhood Education: A Consumer's Guide.
Langhorst, Beth Hoover
Northwest Regional Educational Lab., Portland, Oreg.
Apr 1989
162p.
Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement
(ED), Washington, DC.
Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055)
Target Audience: Practitioners
Intended for use by early childhood practitioners who select and
use early childhood assessment instruments, this guide provides
information needed to judge instrument appropriateness and technical
quality. The guide focuses mainly on standardized, broadly available
instruments. Criteria for selecting instruments include publication
after 1979, wide use, and provision of technical information. Other
criteria concern whether the instrument targets children of 4-8 years
of age and requires limited professional training for administration.
The guide offers: (1) an overview of issues in early childhood
testing; (2) a discussion of criteria for selection of instruments in
general, and specifically, of those appropriate for developmental
screening, readiness assessment, or instructional planning; and (3)
discussions of the state of the art and prospects for the future,
reviews of assessment instruments, and ways to choose an Early
Childhood Education test. Appendices provide a code of fair testing,
a list of reference works for early childhood assessment, and reviews
or descriptions of over 50 early childhood assessment instruments.
Reviews briefly describe the purpose of the instrument, test
contents, administration format and procedures, scoring, norms,
validity, reliability, utility, and availability. About 45
references are cited. (RH)
Descriptors: Check Lists; Codes of Ethics; *Criteria; *Early
Childhood Education; Guidelines; *Readiness; *Screening Tests; Test
Norms; Test Reliability; Test Reviews; *Test Selection; *Test Use;
Test Validity
EJ385051 CG535236
Choosing between Parametric and Nonparametric Tests.
Harwell, Michael R.
Journal of Counseling and Development, v67 n1 p35-38 Sep
1988
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); GENERAL REPORT (140)
Discusses several statistical and substantive criteria that can be
used to choose between parametric and nonparametric tests. Presents
a non-parametric test capable of testing a number of statistical
hypotheses using existing computer packages. Provides
recommendations encouraging researchers to routinely use
nonparametric tests in their data analytic work. (Author)
Descriptors: *Statistical Analysis; *Test Format; *Test Selection;
*Test Use
Identifiers: *Nonparametric Tests; *Parametric Tests
ED318574 PS018762
Assesssing Tests: What Do Teachers Need To Know?
Horm-Wingerd, Diane M.
Nov 1988
21p.; A portion of this paper was presented at the Annual Meeting
of the National Association for the Education of Young Children
(Anaheim, CA, November 10-13, 1988).
Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055); CONFERENCE PAPER
(150)
Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
This paper provides an overview of standardized tests and a summary
of important psychometric and test construction properties that
educators must consider when they make critical evaluations of
standardized tests. Sections of the paper concern: (1) basic
characteristics of standardized tests; (2) differences between norm-
referenced and criterion-referenced tests; (3) reliability and
validity; (4) the importance of reliability and validity; and (5)
sources of additional information. Guidelines for appropriate test
selection and use are included. (Author/RH)
Descriptors: Criterion Referenced Tests; Educational Practices;
Guidelines; Norm Referenced Tests; Resource Materials; Standardized
Tests; *Teacher Responsibility; Test Reliability; *Test Selection;
*Test Use; Test Validity
ED278703 TM870129
Test Purchaser Qualifications: Present Practice, Professional
Needs, and a Proposed System. Issues in Scientific Psychology.
Moreland, Kevin L.; And Others
American Psychological Association, Washington, DC. Scientific
Affairs Office. Jul 1986
35p.
Document Type: EVALUATIVE REPORT (142); TEST, QUESTIONNAIRE (160)
Three papers are included in this document. The first, "An
Moreland, is a short history of the American Psychological
Association (APA)/American Educational Research Association
(AERA)/National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) Working
group, and the political and practical issues surrounding it are
discussed. The second paper, "Establishing Test Purchaser
Qualifications: Present Practices and Future Needs," by Gary J.
Robertson, reviews the catalog and order fulfillment procedures of 13
major U.S. test publishers in order to determine the types of
information required to establish individual purchaser qualifications.
It advocates the establishment of a new system with four specific
characteristics for evaluating purchaser qualifications. The third
paper, "Test Purchaser Qualifications: A Proposed Voluntary System
Based on Test Ethics," by Lorraine D. Eyde and Ernest S. Primoff,
the Joint Committee on Testing Practices. It also describes a
history of the APA's concern with test ethics and test user
qualifications, the research conducted by the Working Group, and the
preliminary elements of a model voluntary test purchaser system which
may be adapted by test publishers. (JAZ)
Descriptors: *Educational Testing; Ethics; *Evaluation Methods;
Models; Professional Associations; Psychological Testing;
*Qualifications; Questionnaires; Standards; Testing Problems; Testing
Programs; *Test Selection; *Test Use; Test Validity
Identifiers: *American Psychological Association; *Test Publishers
EJ324150 IR514636
Special Feature: Testing and Evaluation.
Selden, Ramsay W.; And Others
Curriculum Review, v25 n1 p14-32 Sep-Oct 1985
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); POSITION PAPER (120);
BIBLIOGRAPHY (131); PROJECT DESCRIPTION (141)
Target Audience: Practitioners
Articles in this series on testing and evaluation specifically
address the use of tests to assess and improve educational status;
achievement test selection; and trend toward increased use of
coaching materials to improve test performance. Professional
literature on educational measurement is reviewed. (MBR)
Descriptors: Achievement Tests; *Educational Change; *Educational
Quality; Elementary Secondary Education; Ethics; Evaluation;
Instructional Materials; Literature Reviews; Standardized Tests;
*Test Coaching; Testing; *Testing Problems; Test Reliability; *Test
Selection; *Test Use
Identifiers: National Commission on Excellence in Education
EJ301331 EC161717
Selecting and Evaluating Educational Assessment Instruments.
Salend, Spencer S.
Pointer, v28 n2 p20-22 Win 1984
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055)
Target Audience: Practitioners
Assessment instruments should be selected on the basis of test
design variables (such as date of development and content sequence),
test construction variables (including standardization results),
examinee-related variables (such as prerequisite skills and
vocabulary level), examiner-related variables (including preparation
and skills), and economic variables (such as cost and time
requirements). (CL)
Descriptors: *Elementary Secondary Education; Evaluation Methods;
Standardized Tests; *Test Selection; *Test Use
ED243938 TM840251
Dual Objective Achievement Test Selection.
McLarty, Joyce R.
Apr 1984
39p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American
Educational Research Association (68th, New Orleans, LA, April 23-27,
1984).
Document Type: CONFERENCE PAPER (150); PROJECT DESCRIPTION (141)
Target Audience: Researchers
In 1982-83, Riverside Unified School District (California) selected
an achievement test to provide both norm- and criterion-referenced
(dual objective) data for its achievement testing program. The test
selection process was focused around eight evaluation aspects:
prescreening of tests, content matching, instructional evaluation,
processing evaluation, psychometric evaluation, input from interested
staff and parents, cost analysis, and empirical preparation. Despite
considerable effort to blend curricular and technical considerations,
only the compromise of functional level testing was able to avoid a
direct conflict between the curriculum committee's preference for the
Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) content and format, and
the technical committee's concern for its ceiling effects. The CTBS
covers 25-71 percent of the curriculum, though it does not assess
about 40 percent of the curriculum judged measurable by a paper and
pencil test. Although it is possible to wring content-referenced
information from a standardized achievement test, the experience in
Riverside suggests that the content analysis needs to be thorough and
that interpretation of test results relating to the curriculum should
be restricted to those specific areas in which sufficient match and
coverage have been verified. (BW)
Descriptors: *Achievement Tests; *Content Analysis; Criterion
Referenced Tests; Educational Objectives; Elementary Education;
*Elementary School Curriculum; Norm Referenced Tests; Standardized
Tests; *Test Selection; Test Use; *Test Validity
Identifiers: Ceiling Effects; *Riverside Unified School District CA;
*Test Curriculum Overlap
ED223703 TM820850
Making, Choosing, and Using Tests: A Practicum on Domain-Referenced
Testing.
Baker, Eva L.; And Others
California Univ., Los Angeles. Center for the Study of Evaluation.
Aug 1980
205p.
Sponsoring Agency: National Inst. of Education (ED), Washington,
DC.
Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055)
Target Audience: Practitioners
The materials presented were developed for use in a series of
conferences on testing and instruction sponsored by the National
Institute of Education, with the United States Office of Education,
the UCLA Center for the Study of Evaluation, and a network of
research and development agencies. They are intended for use by
school practitioners and others concerned with the development or
selection of tests geared toward local curricula and objectives. The
development and validation process is described. The volume provides
procedures for selecting or developing tests that are instructionally
relevant and technically sound. Two procedures for test development
rely on domain specifications and item review for congruence with
these specifications. The two procedures for test selection are
concerned with a test's relevance and its technical properties.
Domain specifications connect learning outcomes to instructional
content and the assessment of learning by providing rules for
describing the domain, generating items, and setting their linguistic
and cognitive complexity. The test selection procedures consider a
test's instructional relevance to specified skills and objectives and
its technical qualities. A training unit and practice materials for
each procedure and a facilitator's guide are provided. (Author/CM)
Descriptors: *Criterion Referenced Tests; Elementary Secondary
Education; *Evaluation Criteria; Item Analysis; *Local Norms;
Measurement Objectives; Relevance (Education); Skill Analysis; *Test
Construction; Testing Programs; Test Items; Test Reliability; *Test
Selection; Test Use; *Test Validity
Identifiers: Domain Referenced Tests; Test Manuals
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