Excerpt from Report of Division of Educational Tests for '19-20, Vol. 18: January 24, 1921

Time of testing. NO attempt was made to organize the giving of the tests. Consequently, the scores on which the median and percentile scores are based represent testings all the way from September to June. This condition makes the derived scores somewhat less useful as tentative grade standards than they would be if they were based upon measures obtained at some one fixedtime during the school year. The Situation is further complicated by reason of the fact that some of the schools reporting have semi-annual promotion while others have annual promotion. Some of those which have semi-annual pro motion combined the A and B divisions of each grade in making their reports. In order that the median and percentile scores Shall have as definite a meaning as possible we have estimated for each test the month of the school year which the median scores appear to represent. This estimate, however, must be con Sidered only approximate.

An organized, cooperative plan which would have resulted in the tests being given on one or more fixed dates during the school year, was not attempted for two reasons. In the first place, the complete realization of such a plan was impossible because in a large number of school systems the tests were given as a part of a local plan. The Bureau of Educational Research believes it is wise to encourage this use of educational tests. When the tests are given merely as a part of a project originated by a central bureau of research, little use is likely to be made of the results by the schools giving them. Their motive is to cooperate with the central bureau, and when this has been completed there is a tendency for them to feel that all has been accomplished which may be accomplished. This results in a great waste. Information which might be of much value to the local school systems is not used. Furthermore, this practise tends to engender an attitude toward educational tests that they are merely tools of research to be used by central research bureaus and not tools which may be used by a school system, or even a teacher, in improving instruction.

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