When judging subject-specific aspects of students' texts, teachers should assess various characteristics, e.g., spelling and content, independently of one another since these characteristics are indicators of different skills. Independent judgments enable teachers to adapt their classroom instruction according to students' skills. It is still…

This article promotes the use of modern test theory in testing situations where sum scores for binary responses are now used. It directly compares the efficiencies and biases of classical and modern test analyses and finds an improvement in the root mean squared error of ability estimates of about 5% for two designed multiple-choice tests and…

Stereotype threat is frequently purported to be an important determinant of gender gaps in math. Unlike prior studies, which mostly occur in lab settings, I use data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)--a large, representative assessment of U.S. children--where through a design quirk, students are randomly assigned test…

Uses several thought experiments to explore the potential impact of the choice of criterion on the results of examinee-centered studies. Conclusions from these experiments are then used to examine the different cutting scores from several contrasting groups studies on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. (SLD)

It is a common practice in item response theory (IRT) to treat estimates of item parameters, say "B" circumflex, as if they were the known, true quantities, "B." However, ignoring the uncertainty associated with item parameters can lead to biases and over-confidence in subsequent inferences such as ability estimation,…

The conference theme was "The Promise and Perils of Educational Information Systems," defined as collections of test data on knowledges, skills, interests, and attitudes maintained for the purpose of educational decision making. Topics covered were: "Longer Education: Thinner, Broader, or Higher" (Fritz Machlup); "Testing:…