This article considers the claim that machine scoring of writing test responses agrees with human readers as much as humans agree with other humans. These claims about the reliability of machine scoring of writing are usually based on specific and constrained writing tasks, and there is reason for asking whether machine scoring of writing requires…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress Information Retrieval System is a single purpose database program. It is well constructed, runs without problems, and serves as a model for dissemination of research and evaluation study results. The program seems more useful as an index to documents than as an independent database. (Author/DWH)

National Assessment of Educational Progress writing sample essays from 1988 and 1990 (495 and 599 essays) were subjected to computerized grading and human ratings. Cross-validation suggests that computer scoring is superior to a two-judge panel, a finding encouraging for large programs of essay evaluation. (SLD)

Some results are presented relating to the dimensionality of the 1990 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics item-response data. Based on theoretical considerations, practical limitations, and previous research, two procedures were selected for study: full information factor analysis as implemented in the TESTFACT computer…

The phenomenon of simultaneous differential item functioning (DIF) amplification and cancellation and the role of the SIBTEST computer program in detecting it were studied. A variety of simulated test data was generated for this purpose. In addition, the following real test data were used: (1) American College Testing program data for 2,115 males…