Title
The Future of College Admissions Tests
Abstract
This presentation will trace the changing nature of admissions tests historically as they have progressively transformed from ability tests to tests of academic achievement to an increasing degree. It will have three foci: test administration and scoring, the content of the examinations, and some methodological considerations. Test administration and scoring will focus primarily on technological reflections. The content of the tests will consider how the admissions tests are moving from ability to academic achievement tests. Finally, the methodological considerations will involve universal design, the language of testing, keeping tests fair, and security issues.
Bio
Dr. Kurt F. Geisinger is currently Director of the Buros Center on Testing and W. C. Meierhenry Distinguished University Professor at the University of Nebraska. He has previously been Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Fordham University, Professor of Psychology and Dean of Arts and Sciences at SUNY-Oswego, Professor of Psychology and Academic Vice President at LeMoyne College and Professor of Psychology and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of St. Thomas, in Houston, TX. He has served the maximum two terms as council representative for the Division of Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics in the American Psychological Association, which he also represents on the ISO’s International Test Standards committee. He was elected President of the Coalition for Academic, Scientific and Applied Psychology for the 2009 year, to the board of the International Test Commission and to the American Psychological Association’s Board of Directors. His primary interests lie in validity theory, admissions testing, proper test use, test use with individuals with disabilities, the testing of language minorities and the translation or adaptation of tests from one language and culture to another.
Previously Geisinger was an APA delegate and chair of the Joint Committee on Testing Practices (1992-1996), a member of APA’s Committee on Psychological Testing and Assessment, Chair of the Graduate Record Examination Board, Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee for the Graduate Record Examination, a member of the SAT Advisory Committee, a member of NCME’s Ad Hoc Committee to Develop a Code of Ethical Standards Committee, and numerous other ad hoc task forces and panels. He is presently editor of Applied Measurement in Education, and currently or serves or has served on the editorial committees for the eight other journals. He has edited or co-edited the Psychological Testing of Hispanics and Test Interpretation and Diversity, both with APA books and the 17th and 18th Mental Measurements Yearbooks. He is currently editing the Handbook of Testing and Assessment in Psychology, to be published by APA Books.