Only if the obvious pitfalls of the accountability paradigm can be avoided can there be hope that it will work to the ultimate good of public education. (Author)

The study concludes that nonstandard examiner behavior of the type studied can increase the scores of some students. Students' percentile ranks and grade equivalent can change solely as a function of examiner behavior. (Author)

Reports a study revealing that teachers who regularly read professional journals teach poetry more effectively, according to standardized test scores, than teachers who do not read professional journals; however, according to students' and professional observers' ratings, those who do not read professional journals are more effective poetry…

Suggests that susceptibility to hypnosis and creativity are significantly related and utilizes data to support a regression theory of creativity and hypnosis. Bibliography, tables, and graph. (RW)

Discusses a reading test using chunked" items -- groups of meaningfully related words in which certain groups are changed in meaning from the original passage. (Author)

Several test publishers respond to a charge of racism in testing, made by Robert L. Williams in the previous edition of this journal. Responding are: George Bennett of The Psychological Corporation, John Sommer of Houghton-Mifflin, Leo A. Munday of the American College Testing Program, Samuel Messick and Scarvia Anderson of the Educational Testing…

Testing professionals need to work with teaching staff and parents to help students prepare for standardized testing. Year-long preparation involving teachers and parents is a better alternative than teaching test wiseness strategies at the last minute before a standardized test. (Author/PN)

One major reason for the problems of test validation is an overemphasis on the need for empirical validity data, and a failure to recognize the primary importance of explicit verbal definitions of what the test is intended to measure and rational arguments in support of the means chosen for obtaining the measurement. (Author/LC)

In response to Ebel (TM 508 146) Gardner argues that neither intrinsic rational validity associated with ability tests nor a validity coefficient relating a test to performance as the sole information about validity is sufficient. All relevant data about a test and its functioning are essential in describing the validity of the test. (Author/LC)

A written clinical simulation exercise known as patient management problems (PMP) developed by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry is discussed. The new PMP format is considered standardized in the sense that the "visible" portion of the problem will be identical. (MLW)

Several surveys of British local school boards' and schools' use of and reaction to standardized tests are reported. Most boards use the tests to monitor for accountability or for transfer or screening. Teachers tend to favor testing but do not use the results. (MSE)