Tests are described as either instruments of diagnosis and accountability or as barriers to opportunity. It is predicted that there will be continued attacks on testing, sorting, classifying, and ranking--anything that identifies differences in competence that might deprive someone access to the ladder of success. (Author/MLW)

Describes interpretation technique for providing detailed feedback to students about their performance on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Students summarize their own performance on each major skill. The practical aspects of understanding the full use of routinely collected data make the approach desirable. (Author)

A study with Mexican-American children showed the internal consistency reliability coefficients for the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) were high and comparable to those reported in the WRAT manual. A high relationship was found between WRAT and Metropolitan Achievement Test scores. WRAT meets reliability and validity requirements with Mexican…

Summarizes results of a questionnaire asking if the ASC standarized test influences what is taught in inorganic chemistry courses. Chief controlling factors are indicated to be: (1) instructor's preference and (2) textbook content. Suggestions are given to enhance amount of inorganic chemistry in undergraduate curricula. (Author/JN)

Test anxiety has been proven to be detrimental to students' standardized test scores. This study found test anxiety to be higher for Blacks than Whites in the junior high school setting examined. Test anxiety could be yet another factor in racial bias of testing. (Author)

Teachers need valid information to judge the types of programs, instruction, and colleges best suited to students. Teachers appear to support the use of standardized tests to provides some of that information. Abolishing such tests may lead to dependence on more subjective measures, resulting in inequities in placement and selection. (FG)

The condensed testimony of John Gordon Weiss, of The Committee for Fair and Open Testing, before the New Jersey State Senate and Assembly Education Committees, February 11, l981. Mr. Weiss focuses on misleading publicity and misscoring by the Educational Testing Service and on New York State's Truth-in-Testing legislation. (Editor/SJL)

Presented are 10 examples of ways in which teachers can use standardized test results (not just test scores) after the testing procedure is over to determine ways in which students take tests and then use this knowledge to structure learning experiences without biasing or influencing the testing outcomes in advance. (KC)

Some of the problems and hazards associated with the use of standardized reading test scores in the formation and reformation of ability groups for reading instruction are discussed. (Author)

Observations by parents of 11 Down's syndrome infants and observations by parent advisors on a criterion-referenced checklist were compared to observation by trained evaluators using the standardized Bayley Scales of Infant Development. (CL)

Initial results of the national Evaluation of Experiential Learning Project are extremely positive, showing high correlation among teachers' and students' positive perceptions of 20 outcome items. The overall research design will include project designed instruments, systematic observations, self reports, unobtrusive measures, theory, other…

Describes various data suggesting that certain groups of students can handle challenging college programs effectively. Discusses who these students are and how, if at all, their high school preparation differs from that of the college students who require remedial courses. (Author/MA)

The educational value of standardized tests and their fairness to racial and ethnic groups continue to be intensely debated issues that affect public policies. This article summarizes many of the prominent points of view and suggests a series of six policy alternatives as possible solutions to the controversies. (Editor/LBH)

"A questionnaire concerning the assessment techniques used to evaluate the intellectual level, achievement, and personality of Spanish-speaking children was sent to the directors of pupil personnel services in 16 cities in the United States. The most common tests used were given in English and were not designed for non-English speakers." (Author)