The records of graduates of Iowa high schools who entered the University of Iowa as freshmen in the fall of 1977 were secured in cooperation with the Iowa Testing Program. Test scores for grades 4, 6, and 8 on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and for grade 11 on the Iowa Tests of Educational Development were obtained for all students whose scores…

A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) to assess the academic performance of students who participated in remedial course work during their first term of enrollment, and to determine the participation rate of remedial-eligible students. The fall 1980 administration of a basic skills test battery found 2,968 of 6,726…

This study addresses the sample error and linking bias that occur with small and unrepresentative samples in a non-equivalent groups anchor test (NEAT) design. We propose a linking method called the "synthetic function," which is a weighted average of the identity function (the trivial equating function for forms that are known to be…

Seven schools that have re-evaluated their needs for standardized college admissions examinations were studied to explore their admissions and innovative testing policies. The schools include: (1) Bates College in Lewiston, Maine; (2) Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine; (3) Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in Cambridge,…

Based on 18 months of extensive research and study, the New Mexico State Department of Education developed the Staff Accountability Plan to address the issue of teacher accountability and certification. One of the provisions of the plan (a written assessment of general and professional knowledge for initial certification) will be fulfilled by…

The Connecticut Assessment of Educational Progress (CAEP) is designed to provide legislators and educators with information on the strengths and weaknesses of students in 11 curricula areas. In addition, the Educational Evaluation and Remedial Assistance (EERA) program was developed to assess student proficiency in the basic skills of reading,…

Differential functioning of males and females on achievement test items was studied in a sample of 110,000 students in kindergarten through grade 12. First, item parameters and ability estimates for these parameters were obtained from LOGIST computer program runs for the entire group. Predicted performance for each item for each group was…

Administering a large scale licensing examination program presents both technical and non-technical challenges. Five major areas are discussed in this paper: (1) ensuring test validity in relation to occupational entry standards; (2) developing test items from valid examination specifications; (3) establishing legally defensible passing scores;…

This paper outlines a methodology that school districts can use to enhance the presentation of district-wide testing program results to administrators, school boards, teachers, and the public. Based on John Tukey's two way analysis methodology, it involves fitting this model: test score equals overall plus year plus grade plus cohort plus…

This study focuses on standardized test administration in five elementary schools. The authors discuss how teachers affect test validity by altering standard test procedures in both planned and incidental ways. Each of the 16 voluntary teachers who participated in this study was observed in her/his classroom administering certain subtests of the…

The statistical parallelism of a pair of tests equated by the P-value method was investigated, as well as the relationship between their raw scores and scores transformed by linear equating. Data were obtained from eight sections of the 1980 New Jersey Minimum Basic Skills Program; specifically, the reading and mathematics tests for each of grades…

School testing programs in many cases have been limited to obtaining an IQ score and achievement scores in reading and mathematics for each student. Testing in the U.S. Department of Defense Overseas Dependents Schools followed this pattern and was under attack from many sides. Consequently, the testing program was suspended in 1971 to provide…

Canadian students on the verge of completing their secondary education were tested to determine their proficiency in solving consumer-related mathematics problems that might be frequently encountered in their post-secondary everyday life. Their proficiency was rated as very good in basic computation and use of tables; satisfactory in comparison…

The author explores ways in which the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery might provide the college admissions counselor with an additional set of test scores that, when used with scores from other standardized tests, might provide a more valid comprehensive evaluation of a student's academic potential. (Author/CH)

Recent reports of high levels of achievement on the Regents examinations in New York state and relatively poor showing on the eighth grade examinations have led many to speculate that the eighth grade examinations lack good predictive properties with respect to the Regents examinations. There are many problems with arriving at such a conclusion,…