Prologue -- 1. If only it were so simple -- 2. What is a test? -- 3. What we measure : just how good is the sample? -- 4. The evolution of American testing -- 5. What test scores tell us about American kids -- 6. What influences test scores, or how not to pick a school -- 7. Error and reliability : how much we don't know what we're talking about -- 8. Reporting performance : standards and scales -- 9. Validity -- 10. Inflated test scores -- 11. Adverse impact and bias -- 12. Testing students with special needs -- 13. Sensible uses of tests -- Notes -- Acknowledgments -- Index.