Testing and Predictions of Pupil Success.

The requirements of the revised Elementary and Secondary School Act for annual assessment of student progress highlight problems in using tests in a stringent manner to assess students and teachers. Issues such as validity, reliability, and time spent on test preparation must be considered. Some tests are used for prediction of future performance, but these results are not the only factor in student success at higher levels. State mandated testing at elementary and secondary levels does not always take into account the differing abilities of students or the relevance of their studies to their life goals. In fact, there are no easy ways of documenting student achievement. Computerized adaptive testing may solve some problems in assessment, and improvement-oriented testing is another type of testing that may provide valuable information about achievement. (SLD)