There is evidence that pre-tests can have orienting and motivational and teaching functions - in addition to the sought-for testing function. There is also evidence that these additional functions can be either general or specific. The present paper contributes to the ongoing debate by discussing the issues involved in the context of a series of…

The study examined whether the California Achievement Test (CAT) results would be affected if the test instructions were administered in the language the children best understood. In a pre-post-test sequence, 77 Mexican American second graders between the ages of 7 and 8 of a low socioeconomic background attending the same elementary school in…

Describes personal and professional pressures a first-year teacher faced when confronted with mandated standards in student academic achievement for at-risk students. Focuses on the teacher's efforts to: (1) examine student needs, including addressing test anxiety; (2) adapting classroom methods, including uses of practice testing; and (3)…