Cognitive diagnostic models can uncover students' mastery of multiple fine-grained skill attributes or problem-solving processes. A number of studies have applied cognitive diagnostic models to detect students' knowledge mastery in mathematics and language testing. However, few studies focus on cognitive diagnostic assessment in K-12 science…

Large-scale assessments are generally designed for summative purposes to compare achievement among participating countries. However, these nondiagnostic assessments have also been adapted in the context of cognitive diagnostic assessment for diagnostic purposes. Following the large amount of investments in these assessments, it would be…

In cognitive diagnosis assessment (CDA), the impact of misspecified item-attribute relations (or "Q-matrix") designed by subject-matter experts has been a great challenge to real-world applications. This study examined parameter estimation of the CDA with the expert-designed Q-matrix and two refined Q-matrices for international…

This dissertation aims to investigate the effect size measures of differential item functioning (DIF) detection in the context of cognitive diagnostic models (CDMs). A variety of DIF detection techniques have been developed in the context of CDMs. However, most of the DIF detection procedures focus on the null hypothesis significance test. Few…

A primary purpose of cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs) is to classify examinees based on their attribute patterns. The Q-matrix (Tatsuoka, 1985), a common component of all CDMs, specifies the relationship between the set of required dichotomous attributes and the test items. Since a Q-matrix is often developed by content-knowledge experts and can…

The following profiles address decisions and actions that state education policy-makers--in the state departments of education, unless otherwise noted--are taking to foster successful statewide implementation of their states' new college- and career-readiness standards and aligned assessments. These profiles provide a descriptive overview of each…

Intense focus on student achievement results in mathematics and science has brought about claims that K-12 teachers should be better prepared to teach basic concepts in these disciplines. The focus on teachers' mathematics and science content knowledge has been met by efforts to increase teacher knowledge through funded national initiatives…

The following profiles address the basic decisions and actions that state education policy-makers--in the state departments of education, unless otherwise noted--are taking to foster successful statewide implementation of the new standards and aligned assessments in 15 states. These profiles provide a descriptive overview of each state's…

Working memory capacity has been shown to be an important factor in controlling understanding in the sciences. Attitudes related to studies in the sciences are also known to be important in relation to success in learning. It might be argued that if working memory capacity is a rate controlling feature of learning and success in understanding…

The development and psychometric properties of the Mathematics Anxiety-Apprehension Survey (MAAS), a measure of instructional and/or classroom mathematics phobia are discussed. This instrument was designed to assess levels of mathematics anxiety and apprehension in students with varying levels of education and socio-demographic factors. The highly…

Measurement specialists and instructional personnel can join forces to create tests that are valid indicators of important skills and are instructionally attainable targets for teachers. Such tests can revolutionize education. (Author/IRT)

Elementary and middle school children were given a large battery of tests evaluating reading subskills and reading-related cognitive abilities. These measures were used to define latent representing skills and abilities believed to be important components of reading comprehension. Hypothesized relationships among these constructs were specified…

Uses confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to address unresolved issues concerning the structure of the Cognitive Assessment System, a test of intelligence based upon the planning, attention, and simultaneous-successive (PASS) processes theory of human cognition. Results reveal that the CFA of the standardization data do not support use of the CAS…

The paper describes learning disability or reading disability in terms of deficiencies in processing information. An integrated view of intelligence as cognitive processing is offered followed by a demonstration of how tests of information processing have successfully revealed strengths and weakness of cognitive processes relating to reading.…

Presents new analysis of Planning-Arousal-Simultaneous-Successive (PASS) model of information integration and provides new results to support operationalization of model. Results of factor analysis of data from PASS test battery responses of 434 students in grades 2, 6, and 10 support utility of assessing planning, simultaneous, and successive…