Creativity can be measured with a variety of methods including self-reports, others reports, and ability tests. While typical self-reports are best understood as weak proxies of creativity, biographical reports that assess previous creative activities seem more promising. Drawbacks of such measures -- including skewed item distributions, a lack of…

A test battery with two different levels of adaptation is presented: a within-subtest level for the selection of the items in the subtests and a between-subtest level to move from one subtest to the next. The battery runs on a two-level model consisting of a regular response model for each of the subtests extended with a second level for the joint…

This study aims to analyze the reliability generalization of the computational thinking scale. There are five dimensions of computational thinking: creativity, algorithmic thinking, cooperativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. A Bonett transformation was used to standardize the reliability coefficient of Cronbach's alpha. A…

This study was carried out to develop a test to assess algorithmic thinking skills. To this end, the twelve steps suggested by Downing (2006) were adopted. Throughout the test development, 24 middle school sixth-grade students and eight experts in different areas took part as needed in the tasks on the project. The test was given to 252 students…

The Content Proximity Project was designed to improve the content validity of the MAP® Growth™ assessments while retaining the ability for the test to adapt off-grade and meet students wherever they are in their learning. Two main features of the project were the development of an enhanced item selection algorithm, and a spring pilot study…

The multiple-choice (MC) item format has been widely used in educational assessments across diverse content domains. MC items purportedly allow for collecting richer diagnostic information. The effectiveness and economy of administering MC items may have further contributed to their popularity not just in educational assessment. The MC item format…

While research has shown that students' epistemic beliefs can be a strong predictor of their academic performance, cognitive abilities, or self-efficacy, studies of this topic in computer education are rare. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, it aimed to validate a newly developed questionnaire for measuring students' epistemic beliefs…

Several algorithms for computing the greatest lower bound to reliability or the constrained minimum-trace communality solution in factor analysis have been developed. The convergence properties of these methods are examined. A uniqueness proof for the desired solution is offered. (Author/JKS)

Gulliksen's matched random subtests method is a graphical method to split a test into parallel test halves, allowing maximization of coefficient alpha as a lower bound to the classical test reliability coefficient. This problem is formulated as a zero-one programing problem solvable by algorithms that already exist. (TJH)

Minimum trace factor analysis has been used to find the greatest lower bound to reliability. This technique, however, fails to be scale free. A solution to the scale problem is proposed through the maximization of the greatest lower bound as the function of weights. (Author/JKS)

Formulas for the standard error of measurement of three measures of change (simple differences; residualized difference scores; and a measure introduced by Tucker, Damarin, and Messick) are derived. A practical guide for determining the relative error of the three measures is developed. (Author/JKS)

A statistical method for testing the agreement between a judge's assessment of an object or subject and a known standard is developed and shown to be superior to two other methods which appear in the literature. (Author/JKS)

This study introduces the individual consistency index (ICI), which measures the extent to which patterns of responses to parallel sets of items remain consistent over time. ICI is used as an error diagnostic tool to detect aberrant response patterns resulting from the consistent application of erroneous rules of operation. (Author/PN)

The absence of suitable external criteria is a recurrent problem for test, battery, and inventory developers in selecting items or tests for inclusion in final operational instruments. This report presents a computing algorithm developed for use when no adequate external selection criterion is available. The algorithm uses a multiple linear…

The outcomes of two scoring methods (one based on an error analysis and the second on a conventional method) on free-response tests, compared in terms of reliability and dimensionality, indicates the conventional method is inferior in both aspects. (Author/PN)