Accurate interpretations of large-scale assessment results and sound judgments about students' mathematical literacy depend on these assessments' validity and reliability. One important type of evidence towards this validation is the dimensionality analysis, which explores the conformity between the intended factorial structure (related closely to…

Few arguments about education are as effective at galvanizing public attention and motivating political action as those that compare the performance of students with their counterparts in other countries and that connect academic achievement to economic performance. Because data from international large-scale assessments (ILSA) have a powerful…

A study was conducted to investigate the stability of rater severity over an extended rating period. Multifaceted Rasch analysis was applied to ratings of writing performances of 8,285 primary school (elementary) students. Each performance was rated on two performance dimensions by two trained raters over a period of 7 rating days. Performances…

Although a recent study shows that school children in Denmark are acquiring initial reading proficiencies at a slower pace than in previous years, that there were more very good readers and more very poor readers in 1972-73 than in 1966, that the average reading performance was lower in 1972-73 than in 1966, and that children in 1972-73 read more…

Traditional tests, sometimes called prescientific, and post-modern tests, such as cloze tests and dictations, take the same approach toward content validity: the examinee must show in an "integrated facile performance" that he or she can use the language fluently. Where traditional tests fail is in a third dimension, test method. These…

The valid interpretation of international testing program results in mathematics and science must recognize inherent limitations to international comparisons, and should give opportunity-to-learn as much importance as achievement data. Canadian test results, looked at in this light, appear better than some critics have suggested. (Author/SLD)

This article discusses a workshop that explored research barriers in early intervention for children with autism in the United Kingdom. Following a summary of presentations, recommendations are made for the research agenda, basic research design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of tests, improving statistical power, and a research…

A multi-faceted model for the selection of answers for multiple-choice tests was developed from the findings of a series of exploratory studies. This model implies that answer selection should be curvilinear. A series of models were tested for fit using the chi square procedure. Data were collected from 359 elementary school students ages 9-12.…

This study examined differential item performance in the Progressive Achievement Tests for Mathematics (PAT Math) by both Pakeha (reference--majority) and Maori (focal--minority) students in New Zealand using both Item Response Theory (IRT) and non-IRT techniques. The PAT Math, a 50-item standardized test used in part to guide within class and…

The article addresses minority assessment issues, describes a Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-- Revised (WISC-R) re-norming (for Inuit children) project, examines usefulness of the re-normed WISC-R and reports results of a study comparing gifted and average Inuit children on the WISC-R, Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test, and the Goodenough…

The outcome interpretations, attributions for the outcome, expectancies of future test outcomes, and perceptions concerning instrumental actions of four Finnish elementary school teachers and their 84 sixth-grade students were compared after a math exam. Disagreements between teachers and students on these points reflect biases on the part of…

New developments in testing in the United Kingdom (UK) since 1965 are described. Standardized testing at the local level declined dramatically with the widespread introduction of comprehensive secondary education. However, in the late 1970's widespread local testing programs were re-introduced for the purposes of monitoring student progress,…

The lack of a German language testing instrument for economic literacy has led to problems for researchers in German-speaking countries to establish the level of economic literacy in those countries. The translation of the 23rd edition (1987) of the Test of Economic Literacy (TEL) into a German version, known as the Wirtschalfliche Bildung Test…

This report describes the procedures of a systemwide testing program established by the Ottawa, Ontario, education board to evaluate high school student performance in selected courses. The project was initiated in response to a directive from trustees, who were concerned about variation of academic standards among students in relation to…

A study investigated the use of multidimensional scaling (MDS), a statistical technique, to examine the underlying structure of an ability test at the item level. Subjects were over 8,500 Egyptian students in the Department of Public Service at the American University in Cairo. The testing instrument used was a 36-item English language test based…