The Words We Use: A Glossary of Terms for
Early Childhood Education Standards and Assessment
Definition
A testing instrument intended to predict a child's ability to do or learn something, given an opportunity to learn.
Related Terms (Not Synonyms)
Achievement test; Intelligence test; Readiness test; Test
Explanatory Comments
- The purpose of an aptitude test is to look at the potential for future achievement, while an achievement test measures the outcome of past experiences.
- For aptitude tests, predictive validity is necessary; for an achievement test to be valid, whatever is tested needs to have been taught (content validity).
- Even experts have trouble in distinguishing between achievement tests and aptitude tests because both can predict future achievement. (Gage & Berliner, 1995).
- A readiness test is a form of aptitude test developed for use with young children.
Web Sources
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2002). A lexicon of learning: What educators mean when they say… Retrieved May 19, 2003, from http://www.ascd.org/educationnews/lexicon/a.html
Other Resources
Bracken, B. (Ed.). (2000). The psychoeducational assessment of preschool children, (3rd Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Gage, N.L., & Berliner, D. (1998). Educational psychology. (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
McAfee, O. & Leong, D.J. (2002). Assessing and guiding young children's development and learning. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Popham, W. J. (1999). Classroom assessment: What teachers need to know. (2nd Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
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