Students were allowed to offset a poor examination grade by taking a second, equivalent exam. The repeat exam provided immediate reward for using the initial exam as a study guide. Students who took two or three repeat exams scored higher on the final exam than those who took fewer repeats. There was no "curving" of the exam scores. (Author/JDH)

Reports the development of a measure of teachers' attitudes toward testing. Teachers are constantly called on to use tests to make decisions that are crucial to the lives of their students, hence positive feelings will make for more responsible test use. Items address effects of tests on students, value of tests, and effectiveness of test results…

Describes New Jersey's coordinated, statewide higher education effort involving mandatory testing, remediation, and evaluation. Reviews the program's history; the role of the New Jersey Basic Skills Council (NJBSC); the Basic Skills Placement Test, which focuses on reading comprehension, sentence sense, math computation, and elementary algebra;…

This digest presents seven strategies that an assessment director may use to improve test administration practices. These strategies highlight clear communication, the responsibility of the Building Test Coordinator, and rewarding and reinforcing quality. The strategies are: (1) focusing on communication; (2) designating a building test…

Teachers have become aware that they are expected to make judgments and be judged on the basis of test results. In a shared responsibility among teachers, training institutions, testing companies, and school boards, fair use of tests requires that teachers get information on types of tests and test use. (Author/CM)

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) was administered to (N=72) elementary school children. Compared three methods of pretest rapport establishment for each of two age groups. Results found no significant differences on WISC-R scores as a result of the interaction of age and familiarity conditions. (Author)

Responds to the Nader report on the Educational Testing Service authored by Nairn. Major themes of the nine chapters of the report are addressed. The last sections provide comment on the responses of the Educational Testing Service. (RC)

Although agreeing that the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA) has an important purpose, the author questions some perceived weaknesses: test validity; medical model measures; sociocultural scales; estimated learning potential (ELP); and the incompleteness of SOMPA manauls for use in evaluating the system. (See also TM 504 174).…

The advantages of interim tests in an undergraduate psychology course for diagnostic purposes are described. A discussion of assigning relative weight to interim test performance as compared with final examination performance is presented. (Author/DB)

Calculated year-1 to year-2 stability of assessment data from 21 states and 2 Canadian provinces. The median stability coefficient was 0.78 in mathematics and reading, and lower in writing. A stability coefficient of 0.80 is recommended as the standard for large-scale assessments of student performance. (SLD)

Discusses student cheating on examinations and research/term paper assignments. Offers methods and techniques to prevent or minimize cheating. (SR)

Argues that testing and sin both are based on assumptions about values. Proposes and describes the seven deadly sins of testing: procedural mechanization, competitive coerciveness, cultural egocentrism, overeagerness (gluttony), avarice (greed), disconnection from community, and ignorance of self-implication. (SR)

Describes educational assessment in Singapore and discusses changes planned to focus assessment on more real-life situations while taking into account research on learning and critical thinking. (SLD)

Report on the current trends and issues in American public education involving personal views of state-mandated testing, the 2000 NAEP reading and math assessments, President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" initiative, TIMSS-R Benchmarking Studies, education vouchers, charter schools, and education management organizations. (Contains 52…