Statement by AERA, APA, and NCME on Withdrawal of Lawsuit Against Public.Resource.Org

Newswise — We are pleased to announce that the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education have dropped their lawsuit against Public.Resource.Org, Inc.  That lawsuit had been commenced to protect our copyright and enjoin Public.Resource.Org’s online publication of the 1999 edition of our acclaimed Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, the joint work product of the three organizations. The 1999 edition has been superseded by the substantially-revised 2014 edition of the Standards, and we recently determined that we would ourselves make the 1999 edition available online without charge for those who wished to view it for historical, scholarly, or other purposes.  In light of our own decision to make 1999 edition freely available, we decided to withdraw our objection to Public.Resource.Org’s online publication of that volume.   

We are continuing to review our policies regarding subsequent editions of the Standards, bearing in mind the importance of our work and our desire to ensure that the Standards will continue to play a vital and leading role in supporting proper practices in educational and psychological testing.

###

About AERA
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good.

About APA
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA’s membership includes nearly 121,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives.

About NCME
The National Council on Measurement in Education is a community of measurement scientists and practitioners who work together to advance theory and applications of educational measurement to benefit society. Members are involved in the construction and use of standardized tests; new forms of assessment, including performance-based assessment; program design; and program evaluation. Service to communities and ensuring that assessment is fair and equitable for all students have become essential elements of NCME's mission and purposes.