The perceptions of testing directors, school principals, teacher supervisors, and classroom teachers concerning the actual purposes of public school standardized group testing programs were studied. Surveys were mailed to superintendents in 97 randomly selected public school districts. The superintendents forwarded survey packets to selected principals and supervisors; standardized testing program directors; and elementary school and secondary school principals, who forwarded survey packets to selected classroom teachers. A total of 505 respondents from non-vocational public schools (82 testing directors, 48 teacher supervisors, 157 building principals, and 218 elementary school and secondary school classroom teachers) rank ordered statements describing the purposes of their school testing programs. In contrast to the results of previous research findings, it was found that most educators appropriately perceive the primary purpose of testing programs to be for classroom instructional use. Additionally, it was found that: teacher supervisors' perceptions of the importance of various purposes of testing programs differed sharply from other educators' perceptions and appeared to be in direct conflict with their role as instructional leaders; elementary school and secondary school educators' perceptions of testing purposes sharply differed from each other; and testing directors' perceptions of testing program purposes varied with the extent and nature of their training in testing and evaluation. Five data tables and a 24-item list of references are included. (Author/RLC)