From reviews of the text:

"Popham's writing is clear, engaging, humorous, and yet sophisticated. It speaks to readers in professional and uplifting ways, supportive of both teachers and the field itself . . . . Despite the ease with which one can read the text, it is full of essential information for pre-service teachers. And true to his philosophy throughout the book, less is more; there is no filler here. It gives teachers just what they need to know about assessment, which translates into a book that will be read and read again and then hopefully become part of the future teacher's philosophy of assessment."

--Marilyn Roseman, Mount Aloysius College

"Popham's text is engaging and exceptionally well-written. As a companion to an introductory course in educational assessment, I have not been able to find a text that better addresses the instructional needs of educators who are entering the field. Popham covers core measurement concepts in a highly accessible manner. He makes an effort to disarm students who have anxiety about the mathematical formulas that are often emphasized in other measurement texts . . . . . Each semester I have several students who express their appreciation for the down-to-earth and humorous coverage of this sometimes intimidating content."

--Deborah Bennett, Purdue University

"It is an easy read with clear definitions and concepts. The illustrations and examples are exemplary in giving students a thorough understanding of what they have read . . . . [The validity] chapter has given me a "new" perspective on teaching validity . . . . I found the item-writing guidelines . . . to be exemplary . . . . It is relevant and up-to-date with the Common Core Standards, PARCC assessments, and Smarter Balance. This new material is more up-to-date than my present textbook . . . . I am so impressed . . . that I plan to change my textbook."

--Jean Ragin, Coppin State University

Shows teachers how to develop and use well-written tests, and use classroom testing skillfully and formatively to dramatically increase their teaching effectiveness and make a difference in how well students learn.

KEY TOPICS: Why Do Teachers Need to Know about Assessment? Deciding What to Assess. Reliability of Assessment. Validity. Fairness. Selected-Response Tests. Constructed-Response Tests. Performance Assessment. Portfolio Assessment. Affective Assessment. Improving Teacher-Developed Assessments. Formative Assessment. Making Sense Out of Standardized Test Scores. Appropriate and Inappropriate Test-Preparation Practices. The Evaluation of Instruction. Assessment-Based Grading.

MARKET Pre-service teachers taking courses on assessment and established or new K-12 teachers needing to know the current direction of assessment guidelines and federally or state-mandated practices in the United States.