Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- PART ONE BASIC ISSUES
- PART TWO DIMENSIONS OF TESTING
- PART THREE APPLICATIONS OF TESTING
- PART FOUR THE SETTINGS
- 13 Testing in the Schools
- 14 Occupational Settings
- 15 Clinical and Forensic Settings
- PART FIVE CHALLENGES TO TESTING
- Appendix: Table to Translate Difficulty Level of a Test Item into a z Score
- References
- Test Index
- Index of Acronyms
- Subject Index
- References
13 - Testing in the Schools
from PART FOUR - THE SETTINGS
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- PART ONE BASIC ISSUES
- PART TWO DIMENSIONS OF TESTING
- PART THREE APPLICATIONS OF TESTING
- PART FOUR THE SETTINGS
- 13 Testing in the Schools
- 14 Occupational Settings
- 15 Clinical and Forensic Settings
- PART FIVE CHALLENGES TO TESTING
- Appendix: Table to Translate Difficulty Level of a Test Item into a z Score
- References
- Test Index
- Index of Acronyms
- Subject Index
- References
Summary
AIM Because much testing occurs in a school setting, this chapter looks at testing in the context of school, from the primary grades through professional training. For each level, we look at a representative test or test battery, as illustrative of some of the issues, concerns, and purposes of testing. The intent here is not to be comprehensive, but to use a variety of measures to illustrate some basic issues
(see R. L. Linn, 1986).PRESCHOOL ASSESSMENT
At least in the United States, testing in the schools is quite prevalent. Tests are used for accountability, for instructional improvement, and for program evaluation, as well as for individual student diagnosis and/or placement, advancement, and graduation determinants. In any one year, more than one third of all children (about 14 to 15 million) are tested, with about 70% of the tests using multiple-choice items (Barton & Coley, 1994).
Entrance into school represents a major transition point for most children in the United States and in most other cultures. The transition is often facilitated by a variety of preschool programs. Testing can provide a partial answer to a number of key questions such as the readiness of the child to enter school, the identification or diagnosis of conditions that may present special educational challenges, and the assessment of a child's abilities and deficiencies. Recently in the United States, there has been a marked trend to evaluate children as early as possible in order to plan educational interventions and remediation.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Psychological TestingAn Introduction, pp. 325 - 355Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2006