Young learners with severe visual impairments are restricted in many ways, and psychologists and special needs teachers require information about the nature and extent of the possible educationally handicapping effects. This article, written by Michael Tobin, Emeritus Professor of Special Education within the School of Education at the University…

Many postsecondary institutions currently administer standardized tests of general college outcomes; more than a quarter of Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) member institutions do so. Using standardized tests for accountability purposes has been contentious mainly because these tests do not measure every important…

In this study we examined variations of the nonequivalent groups equating design for tests containing both multiple-choice (MC) and constructed-response (CR) items to determine which design was most effective in producing equivalent scores across the two tests to be equated. Using data from a large-scale exam, this study investigated the use of…

Several current international comparative large-scale assessments of educational achievement (ICLSA) make use of "Rasch models", to address functions essential for valid cross-cultural comparisons. From a historical perspective, ICLSA and Georg Rasch's "models for measurement" emerged at about the same time, half a century ago. However, the…

Large data sets from a state reading assessment for third and fifth graders were analyzed to examine differential item functioning (DIF), differential distractor functioning (DDF), and differential omission frequency (DOF) between students with particular categories of disabilities (speech/language impairments, learning disabilities, and emotional…

The use of microworlds (MWs), or complex dynamic systems, in educational testing and personnel selection is hampered by systematic measurement errors because these new and innovative item formats are not adequately controlled for their difficulty. This empirical study introduces a way to operationalize an MW's difficulty and demonstrates the…

The five studies reported on in this article investigated the effects of testing schemes on end-of-course achievement. Variables were frequency of testing, repeated or non-repeated tests, and single-unit or cumulative tests. Results are discussed. (Author/MT)

Report on the current trends and issues in American public education involving personal views of state-mandated testing, the 2000 NAEP reading and math assessments, President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" initiative, TIMSS-R Benchmarking Studies, education vouchers, charter schools, and education management organizations. (Contains 52…

Presents the preliminary results of a comparison of Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) and conventional testing of English competency for students with limited English proficiency. The CAT procedure, which uses computers and a measurement theory known as Item Response Theory (IRT), provides several benefits that traditional paper and pencil…

This study seeks to determine whether item features are related to observed differences in item difficulty (DIF) between computer- and paper-based test delivery media. Examinees responded to 60 quantitative items similar to those found on the GRE general test in either a computer-based or paper-based medium. Thirty-eight percent of the items were…

The present study reports results from a quasi-controlled empirical investigation addressing the impact on student test scores when using fixed form computer based testing (CBT) versus paper and pencil (P&P) testing as the delivery mode to assess student mathematics achievement in a state's large scale assessment program. Grade 7 students…

The score distributions of the two methods of administration described in the title revealed comparable means, standard deviations, and general shape of distribution. With respect to validity coefficients, no appreciable differences were found. (JKS)

The transition from paper-based to computer-based assessment raises a number of important issues about how mode might affect children's performance and question answering strategies. In this project 104 eleven-year-olds were given two sets of matched mathematics questions, one set on-line and the other on paper. Facility values were analyzed to…

Compares grades awarded by 5 examination boards for 11 subjects at A levels. Uses data from the A Level Information System (ALIS) project for 1989. Finds discrepancies among boards not statistically significant. Fails to identify grading as consistently severe or lenient. (NL)

This study investigated the comparability of scores for paper and computer versions of a writing test administered to eighth grade students. Two essay prompts were given on paper to a nationally representative sample as part of the 2002 main NAEP writing assessment. The same two essay prompts were subsequently administered on computer to a second…