Educational Tests and Measurements

"Our mission is to provide rigorous and relevant evidence on which to ground education practice and policy and share this information broadly. By identifying what works, what doesn't, and why, we aim to improve educational outcomes for all students, particularly those at risk of failure. We are the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, and by law our activities must be free of partisan political influence."

"The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) conducts unbiased large-scale evaluations of education programs and practices supported by federal funds; provides research-based technical assistance to educators and policymakers; and supports the synthesis and the wide spread dissemination of the results of research and evaluation throughout the United States."

"The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education."

"The Buros Center for Testing is an independent organization within the University of Nebraska – Lincoln that shares its expertise in assessment-related endeavors. We function as the world’s premier test review center, as well as a provider of outreach efforts related to our mission to improve testing, assessment, and measurement practices through consultation and education, with special emphases in psychology and education. With unquestioned integrity, an increasing awareness of changes in the world, and sophisticated technology, our influence on the use of measurements will expand so that we are meeting our mission even more effectively."

"The APA Science Directorate answers hundreds of calls and emails each year from persons trying to locate the right test or find more information about psychological tests. APA neither sells nor endorses testing instruments, but it does provide guidance in using available resources to find psychological tests."

"Tests in Print (TIP) serves as a comprehensive bibliography to all known commercially available tests that are currently in print in the English language."

"Tests play important roles in decisions about people, agencies, and institutions. You should select a test carefully. The Mental Measurements Yearbook reviews should be one part of your comprehensive evaluation of a test before you adopt it. Before you adopt a test a committee of persons should carefully examine and evaluate it. The committee should have persons on it who represent those who will be required to use and interpret the test results. This lesson describes a systematic procedure for conducting a test review and evaluation. No test can perfectly match a particular user's needs, so comparing the merits of one test with another is an important step in choosing the better product."

"Once you have located a test, you will want to read its Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) review. You need to use the review to make judgments about the quality of the test. This short lesson will help you get started in understanding how to use the MMY review to make these judgments. It discusses how the review is organized and how to use each part of the review to judge the usefulness of the test to you."