Increasing public understanding of school testing programs is seen as the joint responsibility of test publishers and schools, and also as a primary responsibility on the part of test publishers to increase the schools' understanding of tests. The most common areas of misunderstanding about tests are addressed: purpose of the testing program; the myth of test score infallibility; meanings of different types of test scores; defining minimum competency and setting standards; using tests to classify and place exceptional children; bias in testing; and tests as only one source of information. The importance of continuous communication, from the time the decision to test is first made, is emphasized, and various aids to communication are suggested. (Author)