This book is excellent for responding to NCLB mandates and NCATE requirements for preparing K-12 teachers, school leaders, professionals and researchers inassessment design and use of data for informing day-to-day practices.

It presents material in practitioner-friendly, straightforward and readable language, without watering down concepts and with minimal use of statistics. Instructors will find that the book provides a balanced treatment of traditional and performance assessment methods. Design, validation, and use of assessment tools for a variety of purposes are addressed through the use of a common Process Model and six User Paths. To improve testing practices, the 1999 AERA, APA & NCME standards are cited throughout. Numerous case studies, examples, demonstrations, tables, and a web-based computer module support the book.