Fluctuations in Testing Trends

Reviews the book, The Rise and Fall of National Test Scores edited by Gilbert R. Austin and Herbert Garber (1982). In this book, the editors present a series of chapters by different authors focusing on how test scores have been changing and on factors accounting for those changes. The scope is not limited to the SAT and includes chapters covering tests administered by Project Talent, a national survey of high school students, trends in reading and mathematics, state-administered testing programs; the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), including results on literacy and science; trends and test results from Great Britain and Ireland, and minimum-competence testing, now legislated in a majority of states. In general, the wealth of information about testing trends makes this book valuable for those who teach courses on testing, those who are interested in quality of education issues, or those whose professional activities include interpreting test data to the public or to their representatives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)