Intelligence tests were designed to assess individual differences and have been used for classification and placement. In the current context of providing appropriate education for all handicapped students, there is a need for new instruments that provide diagnostic information that can coordinate with instruction. A conceptual alternative to intelligence tests is presented. It consists of the assessment of a student's performance on defined criteria with known relevance to school learning. The procedure was put into operation by developing 11 tests that represent sequences of learning in three broad domains: information processing, language, and mathematics. The results of assessment can be interpreted developmentally or diagnostically; the diagnostic interpretation consists of the identification of clusters of skills that could be improved by instruction.
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