They are designed not so much to render individual measurement for the instructor (although this is not true for college boards), but to find strengths and weaknesses in programs, demographics, or other cross tabulated data sets. Typically, large scale assessment programs are designed to measure accountability of information and competency. Some examples are: NAEP -- National Assessment of Educational Process. -- A periodic assessment of student progress development by the U.S. Department of Education. Covers math, science, reading, literacy, and by 2012 world history and foreign language where appropriate. Does not supply scores for individual students, but population cross-tabulated data.

WISC -- Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children -- Used for children between 6 and 16 to generate an IQ score; ten core and 5 supplemental subject areas. May be used to rank students or understand their learning disabilities.

Scores are available for colleges to rank incoming freshmen, award scholarships, and to provide ranking for classes. Students do receive individualized reports, but just overall scores as total, and then the five core areas (English, math, reading, science reasoning, and writing) (Kifer, 2000).
4. What are some of the disadvantage of Large Scale Assessments? Give at least 3 and explain them.

Standardized tests fail to measure initiative, creativity, imagination, conceptual thinking, commitment and numerous other valuable skills that are more predictive than tangible knowledge on achievement and performance.

Standardized tests are often ethnocentric, and even geo-centric. They do not take into account differences in environment and cultural knowledge, but by their