The sequential probability ratio test (SPRT), developed by Abraham Wald, is one statistical model available for making mastery decisions during computer-based criterion referenced tests. The predictive validity of the SPRT was empirically investigated with two different and relatively large item pools with heterogeneous item parameters. Graduate…

The underachievement of ethnic minority youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods is a pervasive educational issue this nation is facing. Based on an ecological perspective, we examined the contextual effects of neighborhood ethnic density and neighborhood disadvantage on the academic achievement of Hmong immigrant youths. Utilizing hierarchical…

This report by the Center on Education Policy (CEP), an independent nonprofit organization, examines progress in raising achievement for English language learners. It also describes the factors that make it difficult to accurately assess what ELLs know and can do. The data for this analysis were collected by CEP with technical support from the…

This study investigated the relationship between examinee achievement-specific locus of control and the differences between self-adapted testing (SAT) and computerized adaptive testing (CAT) in terms of mean estimated proficiency and posttest state anxiety. Subjects were 379 college students. A disordinal interaction was found between test type…

To date, the majority of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) systems for achievement and aptitude testing have been based on the dichotomous item response models. However, current research with polychotomous model-based CATs is yielding promising results. This study extends previous work on nominal response model-based CAT (NR CAT) and compares…

Differences in 164 fifth grade students' reading comprehension scores were obtained with four different tasks typically used to measure comprehension (multiple choice, recall, cloze, and maze), using four different reading passages that were equated according to readability formulas. Data analyses revealed significant effects for passage, task,…

Two methods for presentation of programed diagnostic tests were compared. One method used a five-screen, tape and slide format and the other used television in the form of videotape recording. The electronics course used for the study employed 10 diagnostic tests, five for each method. Evaluation was made on the basis of test scores and attitude…

This study validated computerized versions of selected tests from the Kit of Factor-Referenced Cognitive Tests of 1976, compared performance of higher education students on computerized and paper-and-pencil versions of the tests, and explored whether gender, academic status, or age interacted with the tests. (MBR)

The initial development of a testlet-based algebra test was previously reported (Wainer and Lewis, 1990). This account provides the details of this excursion into the use of hierarchical testlets and validity-based scoring. A pretest of two 15-item hierarchical testlets was carried out in which examinees' performance on a 4-item subset of each…

Describes study that compared the administration of the Microtest computer version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) with administration procedures for the traditional paper and pencil version. Highlights include an anxiety inventory; attitude scales; rank order and reliability; correlation analyses; power analyses; and…

Ten groups (2-5 members each) of tenth-grade Israeli English-as-a-Second-Language students took first a group quiz and then individual quizzes on the same material. Comparison of the results showed that, especially for weaker students, group work and group grades offered some advantages over individual work and assessment. (CNP)

Proposes three different multiple range tests based upon the Newman-Keuls philosophy with respect to significance levels. The three tests utilize the Fmax statistic, Cochran's statistic and a normalizing log transformation of the sample variances respectively. (Author/RC)

Analyses of repeated measures to evaluate the role of active and passive instructions showed decreased test anxiety somewhat more with the use of active instructions. (Author/KM)

The Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview (SOPI) is a semi-direct speaking test that models the format of the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), an oral proficiency test used by government agencies to assess general speaking proficiency in a second language. The SOPI is a tape-recorded test consisting of six parts. It begins with simple, personal…

Compared the WISC-R and Leiter International Performance Scale IQs for a sample of educationally handicapped adolescents. Results indicated positive correlations between WISC-R Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale scores and Leiter scores. Findings suggest the same pattern exists for the WISC-R and Leiter as for the WISC and Leiter. (Author)