The purpose of this pictorial practice Test is to prepare pre-primary and beginning first grade children who have not had experience with a group test to do tasks similar to those found on a regular test. The instructions for the practice test stress important cues and directions helpful during test administration, and include the entire dialogue…

This essay discusses testing of the disadvantaged and the possibilities for new approaches to the problem. The black community's resistance to testing and the legal implications of employment and educational discrimination which results from testing are discussed. The objections to testing the disadvantaged are reviewed. At the end, it is hoped…

This paper presents a framework for conceptualizing the different ways in which instructions in experimental tasks may be misunderstood. Five possible types of misunderstandings are identified and discussed: (1) misunderstanding of a particular term in the instructions; (2) misinterpretation of a task because the instructions are difficult to…

A review of current theory and research related to writing ability leads to the conclusion that there is no existing test, instrument, or set of procedures which will provide valid data regarding the writing abilities of individuals. As an alternative approach, a textual cognition model of written communicative competence is proposed and…

The essay-type items of postgraduate achievement examinations in psychology for students at the University of Peshawar were classified, and the relative frequencies of the items were compared with those for psychology examinations administered at a British university. The dimensions of Analysis and Synthesis appeared to be underrepresented at…

Three methods for setting performance standards for criterion referenced tests--theories, expert judgments, and practical necessity--are reviewed. The author concludes that the use of performance standards is not a promising vehicle for making societal decisions. (Author/JKS)

In discussing the problems of evaluating Canadian bilingual immersion programs, six related aspects are separately considered: (1) the research design, (2) the students tested, (3) the nature of the tests used, (4) the methods of analysis employed, and (5) the interpretation of findings. (Author/SJL)

This study determined the degree to which the Non-Language Test of Verbal Intelligence, developed to measure verbal ability through a nonlanguage medium, could measure verbal intelligence. Correlation with the Differential Aptitude Test-Verbal suggested the existence of some common, as well as some uncommon, factors between the two tests.…

The effects of performance-enhancing modifications of testing procedures of a Piagetian-type instrument were investigated for samples of elementary school-aged White, Black, and Mexican-American children. Results are discussed in terms of test validity. (JKS)

This article reviews the development of, and controversy behind, minimum competency testing at the state and national levels. (WI)

Described is a study at Colorado State University that was developed to identify stressors for veterinary medical students which could be alleviated. Types of students experiencing unusual strain are also described, and changes in the educational system to meet student needs are suggested. (JMD)

A remedial self-study course in physics has been successfully developed at Nottingham University through repeated evaluations and modifications in such areas as testing and course organization. The development of a self-instructional center, and the use of film and videotape packages, have also been successful. (JMD)

The result of declining enrollment is more and more frequently the closing of elementary and secondary schools. Discusses some community reaction to these closing schools. Also describes the efforts of Loyola University's physicist Jeffry Mallow to help otherwise healthy and intelligent college students to overcome their anxiety about science…

A Likert seven-choice response format for personality inventories allows finer distinctions by subjects than the traditional two-choice format. The Eysenck Personality Inventory was employed in the present study to test the hypothesis that use of the expanded format would result in a clearer and more accurate indication of test structure.…

Students scoring in the upper and lower distributions of the Test Anxiety Scale solved anagrams under high stress (evaluative) and low stress (nonevaluative) conditions. The high-anxiety-stress group reported greater anxiety; rated themselves, their abilities, and the task more negatively; solved fewer anagrams; and estimated spending less time on…