Testing

See also:

• Reference: Education: Educational Testing  (27)
• Reference: Education: Products and Services: Test Preparation  (276)
• Society: Issues: Education: Education Reform  (145)

• Achieve - Organization devoted to improving the rigor and clarity of the process of standard-setting and testing. Provides standard-setting and benchmarking services to states and districts.
• ACT, Inc. - The organization responsible for the American College Test, required for admission to the public colleges in the majority of states; manages other tests and programs, too.
• AFT - Hot Topics - Standards-Based Reform - Research and opinion from the American Federation of Teachers on standards and standardized tests.
• Appropriate Use of High Stakes Testing in Our Nation's Schools - Provides information on the appropriate use of testing in schools. Although testing is a valuable part of educational assessment, when tests are used in high-stakes circumstances, a number of safeguards must be in place.
• Buros Institute - The Buros Institute, publishers of The Mental Measurements Yearbook and Tests in Print, provides critical analyses of tests and testing instruments.
• College Entrance Examination Board - Organization representing hundreds of colleges responsible for the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), the Advanced Placement (AP) program, and various equity efforts.
• ECS: No Child Left Behind (USA) - Relevant resources related to NCLB, both inside ECS and from other external sources.
• Education Commission of the States: Assessment - Assessment issue directory from ECS, an organization formed through a bipartisan interstate compact to help state officials study education issues.
• Education Consumers Clearinghouse - Provides education's consumers access to information and opinion independent of the education community and sympathetic to the consumer's concerns and priorities.
• The Education Trust - EdTrust works for the high academic achievement of all students at all levels, kindergarten through college.
• ETS on the Issues - Essays from the maker of the SAT, GRE and other well-known standardized tests.
• ETS: Policy Information Reports - Several dozen research reports from the maker of the SAT, GRE and other well-known tests. Reports are authored both by ETS researchers and invited critics.
• A Faculty Review of AQIP in Higher Education - An essay by Dr. Frank Edler reviews the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP),an alternative accreditation program associated with the Higher Learning Commission, from a faculty perspective.
• Frontline: Secrets of the SAT - Television documentary focusing on the college-entrance Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT).
• The International Study Center at Boston College - ISC home page, headquarters for research on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), PIRLS, and other ISC projects.
• Measuring What Matters - PDF format report from business/economic development group supportive of testing.
• National Assessment Governing Board - Made up of elected and appointed officials; oversees the content and operation of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
• The National Assessment of Educational Progress - The "Nation's Report Card" since 1969, assessments have been conducted on national samples of schools periodically in major subject areas.
• National Association of Test Directors - An association of professionals with responsibilities for administering assessment programs in K-12 public educational settings. A selection of their research papers and newsletters are available on the site.
• National Center for Fair and Open Testing - A nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to preventing the misuse of standardized tests.
• National Council on Measurement in Education - The primary U.S. organization of measurement researchers and practitioners involved in educational testing.
• National Research Council: Board on Testing and Assessment - The BOTA was created to assist policymakers and the public on issues of testing and assessment in education, the workplace, and the armed services.
• NCPA - Education - Testing, International Comparisons and Curriculum - Essays that review news and magazine stories, from the politically conservative National Center for Policy Analysis
• OECD PISA Online - The new Programme for International Student Assessment of the OECD, involves dozens of countries testing their 15 year olds' skills and knowledge as they approach the end of compulsory education.
• An On-line, Interactive, Computer Adaptive Testing Tutorial - Lawrence Rudner has set up a mock CAT to illustrate how they work, with many citations at the end for further reading.
• Peter Sacks - Site maintained by Peter Sacks, author of books and articles about standardized testing, intelligence testing and achievement testing in education and the workplace.
• Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation - This on-line journal provides education professionals access to refereed articles that can have a positive impact on assessment, research, evaluation, and teaching practice.
• Richard Phelps - Personal site of Richard Phelps which reviews over the books he has written and several other resources.
• Statewide Mathematics Assessment in Texas - A comparison of the Texas TAAS test to other standards.
• Student Assessment and Testing - Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Equity Center position paper.

• Wired News: A D-Minus for Computer Exams - Testing centers are going back to paper in some overseas regions. (August 15, 2002)
• When a Test Fails the Schools, Careers and Reputations Suffer - Article accusing a testing company of making scoring mistakes and then covering them up. New York Times. Requires registration. (May 21, 2001)
• Right Answer, Wrong Score: Test Flaws Take Toll - Article accusing test development companies of inadequate staffing, quality control, and poor execution. Requires registration. (May 20, 2001)
• Rethinking Standardized Testing - Discusses the reasons that some students have chosen to boycott mandatory state standardized tests. Seattle Press. (May 17, 2001)
• The Evils of Mandatory Testing - As home schooling grows as a movement, there is increasing political pressure to legislate and control home schoolers. (May 6, 2001)
• NCTE.org - On Developing a Test Taker's Bill of Rights - Resolution passed at the NCTE 2000 annual meeting. (2000)
• NCTE Moves to Present Own Voice on High-Stakes Testing - Members of the National Council of Teachers of English pass a resolution to encourage continued research regarding the impact of high-stakes testing. (November 20, 1999)
• GI Forum, et al. v. Texas - Description of a legal case testing whether testing unfairly discriminates against minorities. (November 1, 1999)
• Considerations in Developing and Using Computer-Adaptive Tests to Assess Second Language Proficiency - A paper by Patricia A. Dunkel, Georgia State University. (October, 1999)
• Scans: Real Tests for Real Kids - Wired News: Canadian educational software developer Gerry Morgan may have found a way to assess qualities such as creativity, insight, and teamwork. (October 9, 1997)
• Brouhaha on National School Testing - Most American parents are being told by local schools that their children rank "above average" in both reading and math. Christian Science Monitor. (September 3, 1997)