The role and impact of diversity in higher education has permeated conversations about student access and achievement for many years. Language articulated by various courts suggests that higher education policies should reflect a broad conceptualisation of diversity beyond that of the magnitude and proportion of race and ethnicity, yet…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify various U.S. state education departments' criteria for determining the severity of language impairment in children, with particular focus on the use of norm-referenced tests. A secondary objective was to determine if norm-referenced tests of child language were developed for the purpose of…

Provides a conceptual basis for understanding factor analysis as an analytical technique. Illustrates the basic concepts of factor analysis through Edward L. Rainbow's data from a study of variables influencing students' musical aptitude. Suggests that this technique is most appropriate in music applications where the interrelationships between…

The "2004/06 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/06)" is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education to respond to the need for a national, comprehensive database concerning issues students may face in enrollment, persistence, progress, and attainment in postsecondary education and in consequent early rates of…

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), composed of the common elements of operational classification batteries used by the different services, has been given to high school students since 1968. Results are used by the schools for counseling and by the Armed Services for selecting and classifying potential recruits. The present…

The appropriate analysis of students' responses to an assessment is an essential step in improving the quality of the assessment itself as well as staff teaching and student learning. Many academics are unfamiliar with the formal processes used to analyze assessment results; the standard statistical methods associated with analyzing the validity…

In a preceding research report, ONR/RR-82-1 (Information Loss Caused by Noise in Models for Dichotomous Items), observations were made on the effect of noise accommodated in different types of models on the dichotomous response level. In the present paper, focus is put upon the three-parameter logistic model, which is widely used among…

Because of the recent popularity of the three-parameter logistic model among the researchers who apply latent trait theory, it will be worthwhile to investigate the effect of noise accommodated in different models. In the present paper, four types of models on the dichotomous response level, Types A, B, C and D, are considered. Type A does not…

This study was undertaken to determine whether additional information useful for guidance or placement could be derived from the existing Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Advanced Psychology Test. The number of subscores currently reported is limited by the high reliability required to make admissions decisions; subscores used only for guidance…

Empirical evidence is presented related to the effects of using a stratified sampling of items in multiple matrix sampling on the accuracy of estimates of the population mean. Data were obtained from a sample of 600 high school students for a 36-item mathematics test and a 40-item vocabulary test, both subtests of the Iowa Tests of Educational…

In this article we describe the development of the Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire (CAEQ) that measures first-year university chemistry students' attitude toward chemistry, chemistry self-efficacy, and learning experiences. The instrument was developed as part of a larger study and sought to fulfill a need for an instrument to…

Presented is the technical report on development of the Observational Checklists for Referral (OCR), developed to assist teachers of young children in identifying problems that interfere with learning, making appropriate referrals to other professionals, and communicating with parents and professionals. Sections cover summaries of external…

This manual supplements previous guides to the use of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). It provides sufficient detailed information about the GREs to permit measurement specialists and institutional researchers, as well as faculty members and administrators, to understand the development of the tests and to evaluate their usefulness.…

Focusing on the measurement of outcomes rather than on module materials specifically, test items were constructed to evaluate the Career Education Modules for grades 7-12 developed by the Missouri Career Education Project. First, the stated learning objectives of the modules were converted into outcome objectives. Next, the relevant vocabulary,…

Examines the effectiveness of an automated language proficiency test assembly system at an air force base English Language Center. The study focuses on the equivalence of mean score difficulty, total score variance, and intercorrelation covariance across test norms and finds a high level of test-form equivalence and internal consistency. (nine…