Abstract This paper compares and contrasts two commonly-used psychological tests, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a personality test, and the Wide Range AchievementTest (WRAT3), an achievement and ability test. Each test is described regarding its purpose, measurement scale, reliability, validity, normative construct, and appropriate uses and limitations. Modalities that measure similar traits are also described.
Table of Contents
Test Purpose
MBTI
WRAT3
Test Scales
MBTI
WRAT3
Test Reliability
MBTI
WRAT3
Test Validity
MBTI
WRAT3
Normative Data
MBTI
WRAT3
Appropriate Uses and Limitations
MBTI
WRAT3
Similar Tests Summary
References
From the Paper "Psychological type theory states that people have preferred modes of perception (sensing [S]/intuition [N]) and judgment (thinking [T]/feeling [F]), as well as attitudes that reflect their orientation of energy (extraversion [E]/introversion[I]) and their orientation toward the outer world (judging [J]/perceiving[P]). Jung attested that people develop a dominant function and an auxiliary function for balance. In order to determine if the judging or perceiving function was dominant, Myers added the JP scale. She reasoned that since Es focus outwardly, the JP preference directly indicates their dominant function. However, the dominant function for Is is preferred for dealing with their inner world. Since the JP scale reflects their extroverted function, the relevant dimension is the opposite of their JP preference. These four sets of preferences (S/N, T/F, E/I, J/P) combine to form 16 distinct personality types."
Abstract This paper discusses the WRAT3, which has been used for many years as a screening device to help pinpoint students who may need extra instruction or academic support. The paper describes the make up of the WRAT3 test, outlining its three academic subtests - reading, spelling, and arithmetic. The writer claims the importance of this specific test being part of a battery of tests in order to achieve the most accurate reading.
From the Paper "This test was normed using students age 5 to 19 in grades kindergarten through 12th grade. The test can be administered to anyone aged 5 to 75 (Overton, 2000), making it a screening tool with wide application. It has been noted in the marketing information for this test that wider claims are made for its use. Both the publisher and some distributors have made claims suggesting that the WRAT3 may represent complete testing. The Stoelting Company, one marketer for the test, says
?Useful in determining a person's level of performance in relation to age peers, WRAT3 can be used to determine appropriate instructional levels, and in diagnosing learning disabilities in reading, spelling, and arithmetic.? (Wllkinson, 2000). This seems an exaggerated claim unless the tester realizes that the WRAT3 should be one part of a test battery when diagnosing significant learning problems. As noted later in the paper, the reading subtest is markedly limited, and the test does not measure written expression at all, even though that is one area where a student can be found to be learning disabled."
Abstract This paper offers a comprehensive review and evaluation of two standardized tests, namely, the third edition of the Wide Range AchievementTest (WRAT 3), and The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. It discusses the purpose and nature of the tests. The author also provides a technical and practical evaluation of the tests.
From the Paper "The purpose of this paper is to present a critical overview and evaluation of two standardized achievement tests. The two tests selected for review are the third edition of the Wide Range Achievement ..."
This paper reviews an article by Raymond Zurcher, "Issues and Trends in Culture-Fair Assessment" that examines the issue of cultural bias in standardized tests.
Abstract This paper discusses an article by Raymond Zurcher, "Issues and Trends in Culture-Fair Assessment" that evaluates the degree of cultural bias in group achievementtests and individual IQ tests, reviews other writers, refers to statutes and case law and research on the topic and mentions tests that have been designed to be culture-neutral.The author states, as an example of culture bias, that while minority students are exposed to the majority culture, very often majority students are not exposed in depth to minority culture; therefore, a white student might not know that in African-American neighborhoods a brick might be called an ?alley apple.? The author feels that Zurche's opinion was supported by other opinions, not controlled research; research is needed on this topic.
From the Paper "Zurcher also discussed two issues that might be more serious -- "Slope Bias" and ?Intercept Bias.? Slope Bias happens when the test has less validity for minority students than students in the majority culture. Zurcher quoted Anastasi, who noted that correlations might be statistically significant for one part of society but not another. Presumably, these differences could occur across socio-economic lines as well as cultural lines, although that was not mentioned. Zurcher explained "Intercept Bias" as what occurs when test scores under predict for a specific group. Examples might be using I. Q. scores to predict achievement, or college admission scores to predict performance in college. One way this can happen, he said, was if the test items did not reflect the task it was attempting to predict."
Abstract This book presents a review of a book about standardized tests by G.W. Bracey, "Put to the Test: An Educator's and Consumer's Guide to Standardized Testing." The paper discusses Bracey's thesis that tests have grown beyond their ability to serve useful educational purposes.
From the Paper "The big pedagogic picture of Put to the Test is that it is a reality check on what Bracey analyzes as the blind faith that has been put in standardized-test scores as far as predicting the academic success or failure of students is concerned ..."
Abstract The argument that animal testing is an act of cruelty against a species or species that cannot protest its supposedly pitiless treatment is a denial of the overall benefits that result from concentrated research on a living organism. It is through such research that many significant medical achievements have been made over the past hundred years. This paper shall address these achievements and argue that they would never have been accomplished were it not for the unhindered use of animals as test subjects during the research phase.
Abstract This paper addresses academic assessment and academic achievement according to the results of standardized testing. It is the argument presented in this paper that standardized testing is not a viable measure of estimating a young child's skills and that essay writing would be a better measure of assessing learning.
Tags: EDUCATION / CURRICULUM THEORY AND ISSUES, standardized testing students
Abstract The 'teaching to test' equation raises a number of ethical questions about quality of education. In addition, this issue elicits several concerns regarding the impact on teachers. The paper examines whether teachers can still be creative and prove themselves the best teachers possible, or whether the constraints of standardization keep them from achieving. The paper discusses whether a teacher who has students who excel on the tests is actually better than one who does not. The paper also discusses the issue of whether teachers should be punished for not achievingtest goal or rewarded for doing so.
From the Paper "Over the past decade, the educational system in the United States has been changing in a fundamental way. Rather than having teachers determine what their students should learn to accomplish educational goals, schools are following state and national standards that dictate what must be taught as well as the scores that must be achieved on uniform tests. Increasingly, teachers' performance is based on how well their students meet set standards. As a result, schools are seeing the rise of a "teach to the test" syndrome. Instructors are putting significant if not most of their efforts on prepping students on the information they will need to succeed on the tests. In some cases, students even have a week of learning how to take the test along with sample questions, and parents are advised to review testing materials with their children as part of their homework."
Abstract This paper examines some of the major forms of standardized testing used in the United States today and assesses them for both fairness and validity.
Contents:
Introduction;
An Overview of Testing and Some Basic Definitions;
History of Standardized Psychological Testing;
Functions of Tests and Testing;
Typology of Current Tests;
The Key to Psychological and IQ Tests: Who Interprets Them;
Conclusion: Do Any of These Tests Do What They Promise
From the Paper "The usefulness of psychological tests depends on their accuracy in predicting behavior. By providing information about the probability of a person's responses or performance, tests aid in making a variety of decisions. One of the sustained criticisms of psychological tests is how well in fact they are able to do precisely this ? predict future behavior. Many tests have the word "aptitude" in their titles to reassure us that they are in fact not simply testing the subject on how much he or she knows, what his or her mental state is at present, or what his or her experiences have been to date. And it is certainly true that to some extent tests do have a predictive value ? although of course the validity of this predictive value varies widely from test to test. But it is also true that one of the most important aspects of human nature (or the human psyche or human intelligence) is that we are capable of learning and changing. How much each one of us is capable of changing has remained a difficult aspect of human behavior to assess. And whether the particular circumstances that might cause someone to change will come about remain in the realm of crystal ball gazing (Nash 119)."
Abstract This paper focuses on the types of instruments, data and instructional strategies available to raise the students' scores in reading on the Illinois standard achievementtest and the standardized testing the state requires of all students. The writer believes that standardized testing should not be abolished but rather that it measure what the students are actually learning. The Wilson School in Chicago Heights, Illinois, is used as an example of the standardized testing issues faced by this state and its children. The writer recommends adjusting the testing program to meet five goals, which are much more important for students than their specific scores on a test.
From the Paper "The third grade students have been the focus group tested by the state in reading on the ISAT for years. The existing data records for 1999-2001 show the percentage of students at the local (Wilson School), state, and district levels who have failed to meet the state standards in reading at the third-grade level. Data for the third-grade teachers at Wilson can also be found through their university transcripts and professional development records kept in the central office files."
Abstract This paper looks at the factors that may cause African-American students to receive lower test scores or grades than white students. Factors include genetics, stigmatization, peer influence, teachers' expectations, test bias, and television. The author includes a possible hypothesis for further study.
From the Paper "Ferguson (2001) further analyzed a possible correlation between the number of hours spent in front of the television and student performance, a theory distinct from other hypotheses. He found that black students watched more television than whites, and the black/white ratio for the number of hours watched on school nights is almost 2-to-1 for females (Ferguson, 2001). Collectively, black students did report lower homework completion rates than white students who report the same amount of time doing homework. However, when a test was conducted to determine whether watching television might cause the lower homework completion rate, the results showed that the estimated effect of television watching was so small as to be completely inconsequential."
Tags: academic, bias, genetics, inequality, intelligence, standardized, stereotypes, stigmatization, test
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that for many years there has been a considerable achievement gap in America. Most often this achievement gap is evident when comparing wealthy children to poor children. There are also achievement gaps along the lines of race and gender. The writer explores why these achievement gaps exist and the ways in which these gaps can be reduced. The writer also provides some facts concerning the types of achievement gaps that exist in America. The writer maintains that achievement gaps between white and black students begin in elementary school and exist throughout adulthood. The research suggests that such factors as poverty, under funding and racism play substantial roles in contributing to the achievement gap amongst American students.
Outline:
Introduction
Achievement Gap
Why Does an Achievement Gap Exist?
Poverty
Unequal Funding
Locus of Control
Acting White
Academic Disengagement
Reasons for Academic Disengagement
How to reduce the Achievement Gap
Adequate School Funding and School Choice
Better Trained and Better Paid Teachers
Detracking
Changing Perceptions
Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "When schools do not have adequate funding they can not purchase enough books for every student, school equipment may be deteriorating and students may not have access to the technologies needed. A lack of these essential tools can make it difficult for students to thrive.
"In addition to adequate school funding, school choice may be needed in some districts. The issue of school choice is a controversial one but parents and students should not have to bear the cost of schools that are failing children and not providing them with the education needed to compete in the world. In a perfect world schools would get funding and well trained teachers but the reality is that in order to close the achievement gap some serious issues must be addressed and this may result in the temporary or permanent closing of underperforming or failing schools."
Abstract This paper discusses standardized achievementtests, which are a major part of the American school curriculum. The paper examines how these tests have seeped their way into all levels of schooling, and students from pre-kindergarden to high school have become accustomed to taking multiple standardized tests throughout the course of their school career. The paper contends that standardized tests are used to reproduce class and racial divisions and hierarchies and should, therefore, be eliminated.
From the Paper "Standardized achievement tests are a major part of school curriculum in America. This kind of test was first introduced to our schools in 1947 when the Educational Testing Service (ETS) was first established and administered a standardized test at 50 leading universities. (Schmitz 1991) The use of these tests spread and it was accepted into our culture that this is an accurate way to measure a student's intelligence and academic potential. High schools have been administering tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and American College Test (ACT) as prerequisites for being admitted to any college for many years. These tests have seeped their way into all levels of school, and students from pre-kindergarden to high school have become accustomed to taking multiple standardized tests throughout the course of their school career."
Abstract This paper discusses test anxiety and the effects that it has on students and their academic performance. The paper begins by describing symptoms of anxiety in general and then focuses more specifically on test anxiety. The paper suggests methods for students, their parents and schools to adopt in order to reduce test anxiety levels among students in order to improve testing outcomes in these students.
From the Paper "The incidence of test anxiety depends on the subject. A study sought to determine the extent to which Statistics and Mathematics exams produce anxiety in 162 pre-service teachers, used as subjects in an academic teacher-training program for elementary and middle schools in Israel (Nasser 2004). Result showed that a student's mathematical aptitude, mathematics anxiety, attitudes toward mathematics and motivation conduced to his or her feelings about statistics at 51%. The study observed that this was the tendency among students with little prior or no experience in statistics and that the lack of experience could produce negative attitudes, which could convert into anxiety. It concluded that preconceptions on the nature of statistics could produce that anxiety. Mathematical aptitude would best determine success or achievement in statistics and foster more positive attitudes towards mathematics and statistics. Therefore, anxiety towards tests in mathematics and statistics would tend to develop in students with lower mathematical aptitude and achievement or experience (Nasser). (Deustche 2005)"
Abstract This paper explores alternate forms of educational assessment, which have taken on new importance since the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) law requiring demonstrated proof of learning. While the standard assessment for most schools is some form of group achievementtest, the paper explains that some students do not perform well on such tests, making them a poor yardstick for measuring their progress. The paper also says that tests are problematic for students with special needs, whose progress can not be assessed in the same way as children without impediments to learning. The paper then studies alternative forms of assessment, focusing in particular on the portfolio method, which is a broad collection of information that demonstrates as completely as possible how the student is performing as a learner. The paper reviews and summarizes several different quantitative research studies about this method.
From the Paper "The third article looked at ways to evaluate academic gains in alternative ways, particularly by the use of "running records." Olsen (1999) notes that "Students who will participate in alternate assessments typically are not working toward a regular high school diploma ... ". This statement might be of great concern, since students with dyslexia who have had great difficulty reading have been able, with the right supports, to complete a high school diploma and even college. The idea that only very severe disabilities interfere with good performance on group achievements may not be an accurate one. However, Olsen looked at a variety of assessment approaches including recollection, record review, and testing. He defined recollection as something that could be performed with an interview or using some kind of rating scale. These observations would of course be made by someone very familiar with the student within the school setting. Record review could include information from school cumulative records, databases, accumulated examples of work, anecdotal reports and records from non-school settings. The author noted that without some kind of standardization for gathering this information, it would be hard to quantify the information gathered in any systematic way. The author also noted that testing, whether standardized or norm-references, often did not demonstrate the abilities and knowledge of students with significant learning problems."
