This National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) module is designed to help teachers understand test reliability requirements. Focus is on the reliability of scores from teacher-made achievement tests used for interpreting norm-referenced scores. Reliability, factors affecting scores, reliability estimation methods, reliability's relation…

Methods for estimating the mean and variance of latent ability parameters of a normally distributed population that has been tested with Rasch model-calibrated test items are discussed. Methods for checking the normality of the population are also included. (JKS)

The paper discusses some problems in using achievement tests with hearing impaired students and offers some general suggestions for school testing programs. (PHR)

Bilevel dimensionality of probability was examined via factor analysis, Rasch latent trait analysis, and classical item analysis. Results suggest that when nonstandardized measures are the criteria for achievement, relying solely on estimates of content validity may lead to erroneous interpretation of test score data. (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)

Procedures for conducting functional level testing have been available for use by practitioners for some time. However, the Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS), developed in response to the educational amendments of 1974 to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), has provided the impetus for widespread adoption of this…

Compared Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 and coefficient alpha (by blocks) reliability estimates for a reading comprehension test. On the average, K-R 20 exceeded coefficient alpha by about .05; that is, K-R 20 exaggerated the internal consistency of the test as would be expected from theory. Implications for counseling interpretations are discussed.…

This manual sets forth comprehension guidelines and procedures for selecting instruments to measure educational growth, achievement, and outcomes. The necessary criteria are presented in a checklist format, permitting local district personnel to evaluate the worth of testing instruments before adoption. A subset of the criteria are defined as…

Achievement tests which are specifically linked to an instructional program and have been developed in relation to an objectives base and/or to an item generation rule are considered, as well as student response data. Three types of studies are outlined and the kind of procedures thought useful illustrated. As various methods for examining…

This booklet was designed to provide inservice teachers with a self-contained manual for use in writing and/or improving classroom achievement tests. Following a preface and an introduction, the contents are divided into four sections: Practicality, preface and an introduction, the contents are divided into four sections: Practicality,…

This report describes the development of the 1969-70 Michigan Educational Assessment measures used in assessing the levels and distribution of educational performance for Michigan's districts, schools, and pupils. The report has four sections. The first section contains a brief description of the 1969-70 assessment program, including a statement…

This article lists psychometric problems encountered when measuring change in achievement by improved test scores as is done in performance contracting. Examined are: regression toward the mean, reliability of gain scores, the nature of grade norms, and test content as representation of educational objectives. (SB)

Results of three studies based on Stanford Achievement Test data collected during the National Achievement Testing Program for Hearing Impaired Students in Spring, 1971 are reported. Compared in the first study are performance patterns of hearing impaired students on the Intermediate I and Advanced batteries with patterns of hearing…

A comparison of reading subtests of the Wide Range Achievement Test, Peabody Individual Achievement Test, and Slosson Oral Reading Test showed a high correlation between the WRAT and PIAT. Suggests the WRAT and PIAT measure the same dimension of reading achievement, possibly verbal fluency. (Author/JAC)