Experimental psychology is witnessing an increase in research on individual differences, which requires the development of new tasks that can reliably assess variations among participants. To do this, cognitive researchers need statistical methods that many researchers have not learned during their training. The lack of expertise can pose…

This article is an overview of the National Assessment of Education Quality (NAEQ) of China in reading, mathematics, sciences, arts, physical education, and moral education at Grades 4 and 8. After a review of the background and history of NAEQ, we present the assessment framework with students' holistic development at the core and the design for…

International large-scale assessments of student achievement such as International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement's Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Program for International…

Using two well known criteria for the diagonalizability of a square matrix plus an extended form of Sylvester's Rank Inequality, the author presents a new condition for the diagonalization of a real matrix from which one can obtain the eigenvectors by simply multiplying some associated matrices without solving a linear system of simultaneous…

This article reflects on the history of interest assessment in Australia in the last 45 years. In it the author would like to review some aspects of the history of interest assessment in Australia from his personal perspective as a user and researcher. He suggests that the present state of interest assessment in Australia using inventories is…

To teach the rigorous skills and knowledge students need to succeed in future college-entry courses and workforce training programs, education stakeholders have increasingly called for more rigorous curricula, instruction, and assessments. Identifying the critical attributes of rigor and measuring its appearance in curricular materials is…

Measurement error is a common theme in classical measurement models used in testing and assessment. In classical measurement models, the definition of measurement error and the subsequent reliability coefficients differ on the basis of the test administration design. Internal consistency reliability specifies error due primarily to poor item…

This framework will define the purpose and scope of NAEP's system of collecting background information, including background questionnaires and other sources of non-cognitive data. It will establish criteria for reporting background information as part of the National Assessment. The approach it suggests provides for asking various groups of…

This article examines the utility of multi-matrix sampling as a technique in health education research that permits collection of large quantities of data without lengthy questionnaires or excessive time demands on respondents. Advantages and limitations of multi-matrix sampling are delineated through a hypothetical example. (Authors/CJ)

A computer program to generate individualized objective test forms for use in a Student Faced Statistics (SPS) course is described. The program features disproportionate sampling from different item domains and enhanced character generation facility for test printing purposes. (Author)

Test reliability is a concept central to classical test theory and it is commonly stated as a requirement that a test attain a certain level of reliability before it be considered of sufficient quality for practical use. This article discusses the role of reliability in item response theory, and in particular the role of reliability in contexts…

The overall effectiveness of a school program can be assessed through a matrix sampling technique. In Illinois a district gathers evaluative data in 10 content areas by administering tests to sample groups of students. (MD)

This article shows how set covering with item sampling (SCIS) methods can be used in the analysis and preanalysis of linear programming models for test assembly (LPTA). LPTA models can construct tests, fulfilling a set of constraints set by the test assembler. Sometimes, no solution to the LPTA model exists. The model is then said to be…

Describes two types of criterion-referenced testing that districts can use to measure achievement outcomes of their instructional programs: a random sampling assessment plan and an item-response theory assessment plan. (Author/JM)

This document is the fourteenth annual report on the critical successes of the North Carolina Community Colleges published in July 2003. The purpose of this document is to report on the performance measures for purposes of accountability and performance funding. Furthermore, the annual report serves as an evaluation instrument for the System…