The increasing interest in and availability of "open-area" education is based largely on descriptive and anecdotal evidence. This paper attempts an empirical examination of the effectiveness of open-area classrooms (at an elementary grade level) in British Columbia. (Editor)

An experimental program was developed for children in order to assess their self concept, anxiety, and relative degree of self-responsibility for school successes and failures. (Author/RK)

A discussion of more effective educational programs that can be developed with the aid of status testing which measures the pre-instructional status of students on specified educational outcomes. Elementary school children in grades K through 3 took status tests in letter formation, editing, and composition. The results were used to confirm the…

The Committee on Ability Testing's report (see ED 213 770 and ED 213 771) is shown to give primacy to employment productivity and efficiency values, creating an institutional bias in their analysis of testing. The importance of a balance of alternative multiple perspectives to broaden testing criteria, standards, fairness, and social values served…

Tests are used in hopes that disclosure of accomplishments will be made, but teachers sometimes feel they are being penalized for giving consideration to the whole child's development instead of concentrating on drill that would result in higher test scores. Standardized tests cause apprehension about control of student placement and instruction.…

In situations where there are enormous pressures to produce "good" test results, standardized testing can be a very painful experience, but there are ways of using test data to help in the educational process. California assessment data are disseminated widely to school districts in meaningful diagnostic displays. (Author/CM)

Parents have needs, rights, interests, and responsibilities to know how standardized tests are used in the schools and to call attention to inaccurate test results; to judge the quality of education reflected by tests; and to have information to understand tests to help assess their children's abilities and achievement. (Author/CM)

In a two-way analysis of variance and Bonferroni-type follow-up to detect biased items on Forms A and B of the test found that bias-in-item difficulty occurred for the Mexican-American and White groups. The need to examine the issue and reconsider popular conceptualizations of bias in testing is shown. (Author/CM)

Addresses trends in test development and interpretation over the past 10 years and explores test and inventory usage in counseling centers in three articles. Reactions, in two articles, address specific issues raised and overall trends. (RC)

Three methods are presented for interpolating fall norms from data derived for tests administered in spring. One method used the midpoint between two spring administrations, the second adjusted for date of fall testing, while the third method used experimental data that showed slower growth rates during the summer months. (CTM)

This article examines the program planning implications of specific advantages and disadvantages to competency testing which have been cited by lawyers and educators. Part of a theme issue on student assessment. (SJL)

The author defines criterion-referenced (CRT) and norm-referenced (NRT) tests, considers current objections to each, and distinguishes their appropriate uses: CRTs for pupil diagnosis and instruction and NRTs for surveying achievement in a long-term evaluation context. Part of a theme issue on student assessment. (SJL)

Computer-based, self-evaluation tests are being used at the University of Waikato in Physics, Education, Geography, and French courses. Details of procedures, examples of tests, and an interactive test writing program are given. The development of the system to accommodate a wide range of subjects is discussed. (Author/MLW)