Trends in testing in the USA

This chapter traces the development of testing policies in the USA and focuses on the use of academic tests of aptitude and achievement. The thesis of the chapter is that testing policy is a result of a subtle interplay of social, political, and technical factors. Thus, the nature of the development of testing in the USA is linked fundamentally to its democratic principles, the emergence of scientific ideas, and the social and economic reality of an immigrant and heterogeneous society. Conflicts among these factors have shaped the day to day reality of testing and its use in the US system. The chapter is organized into sections chronologically. Each attempts to provide an integrated discussion of social and political contexts and explicit motives for US test development as well as, where appropriate, technical summaries of the major features of the assessment themselves. This approach is structured to illuminate the recurring themes that have influenced or are likely to influence future US testing practices. The chapter closes with a discussion of critical issues in the design of assessments for the future.