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…

Estimates of reading ability for second through fourth grade Title I pupils were obtained through grade-level and out-of-level testing. Results show that the method of testing affects the students' scores, the identification of pupils needing remedial reading instruction, and evaluation of the reading program. (JKS)

Controversy and confusion surround the question of the appropriateness of tests for minority groups. It is believed that the matter should be approached rationally and that examining it relative to empirical, construct, and content validity will be helpful. (Author)

Compared with high-test anxious students, those with low scores on both scales of the Achievement Anxiety Test were less anxious before a test, studied less for it, and got more sleep the night before. The pattern of results was congruent with expectations. (Author)

This research examines the effects of test format on achievement-test performances of Black children. Multiple-choice test items containing distractors (e.g., all correct, all incorrect) penalize Black children, since distractors appear to serve as blocking agents. The results also suggest that distractors encourage guessing. (Author/DOW)

Advantages and disadvantages of no-penalty and penalty marking systems are discussed. Ways in which examiners have attempted to correct for guessing by students are reviewed, along with the use of "don't know" options and confidence-weighting for attempting to assess the degree of certainty that candidates attach to their answers. (Author/LBH)

Discusses college students' general disregard for factual information when writing political science examinations. Concludes that students should be taught to support answers with factual information. Suggests ways to construct examinations which require factual knowledge. (Author/DB)

Assesses the academic merit of an innovative undergraduate program designed to teach students the importance of critical thinking skills and social science concepts. As a result of these tests, students did improve their knowledge of some critical thinking skills relative to control. (Author)

Communicative oral language tests have claimed high content validity, but have also elicited concern that the assessment scales are based on theory with little empirical justification. A new approach to construct validity can be found in discourse analysis, which could lead to the development of new communicative discourse tests in all skills. (CB)

Thirty French-speaking Quebec preschoolers were administered translated versions of the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Revised (DIAL-R) and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). Discussion focuses on aspects of translation and content requiring further modification, and on issues regarding use of translated…

Two criteria are discussed for determining cutting scores on a predictor variable for identifying cases of likely child abuse--utility maximizing and error minimizing. Utility maximizing is the preferable criterion, as it optimizes the balance between the costs of incorrect decisions and the benefits of correct decisions. (Author/JDD)

School counselors working with hearing-impaired students are introduced to the preventive legal audit strategy to avoid common civil and criminal liability situations. Sample legal audit questions concern negligence/malpractice, confidentiality/privileged communication, child abuse, testing, Public Law 94-142, and other civil and criminal…