Laboratory courses serve as important gateways to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. One of the challenges in assessing laboratory learning is to conduct meaningful and standardized practical exams, especially for large multisection laboratory courses. Laboratory practical exams in life sciences courses are frequently…

Presented is an integer-programming approach to item pool design that can be used to calculate an optimal blueprint for an item pool to support an existing testing program. The results are optimal in the sense that they minimize the efforts involved in actually producing the items as revealed by current item writing patterns. Also presented is an…

Presents an integer programming approach to item bank design that can be used to calculate an optimal blueprint for an item bank in order to support an existing testing program. Demonstrates the approach empirically using an item bank designed for the Law School Admission Test. (SLD)

An integer programming approach to item pool design is presented that can be used to calculate an optimal blueprint for an item pool to support an existing testing program. The results are optimal in the sense that they minimize the efforts involved in actually producing the items as revealed by current item writing patterns. Also, an adaptation…

Describes Florida's efforts at instituting statewide item banking and testing program in vocational education. Discusses rationale for statewide testing program and item banking procedure as well as development and coding of items, dissemination of item bank to school districts, and development of statewide test. Outlines problems encountered,…

A response, by Carlson, to the National Commission on Excellence in Education's report proposes establishment of an independent agency. This entity, in conjunction with the National Assessment of Educational Progress, would define common content domains, develop calibrated normed item banks, and develop content referenced reporting systems. (DWH)

In January 1985, Employment and Immigration Canada funded a pilot project in New Brunswick for the development and testing of an Interprovincial Computerized Examination Management (ICEM) System. The resulting system is comprised of a dual interprovincial and provincial item bank facility, a software component offering the option of computerized…

Test-item writing efforts typically results in item pools with an undesirable correlational structure between the content attributes of the items and their statistical information. If such pools are used in computerized adaptive testing (CAT), the algorithm may be forced to select items with less than optimal information, that violate the content…

This paper describes an assessment and evaluation effort occurring in the context of a middle school science curriculum development effort known as Learning by Design (LBD). The LBD approach builds on a body of cognitive science and professional education research that emphasizes learning from problem-solving experience. The assessment and…

A set of short tests aimed at measuring student mastery of specific skills in the natural sciences are presented with a description of the mastery program's purposes, development, and methods. Mastery learning, criterion-referenced testing, and the scope of skills to be tested are defined. Each of the multiple choice tests for grades 7 through 10…

Continuing a series of short tests aimed at measuring student mastery of specific skills in the natural sciences, this supplementary volume includes teachers' notes, a users' guide and inspection copies of test items 27 to 50. Answer keys and test scoring statistics are provided. The items are designed for grades 7 through 10, and a list of the…

As part of a series of tests to measure mastery of specific skills in the natural sciences, copies of the first 13 tests are provided. Skills to be tested include: (1) reading a table; (2) using a biological key; (3) identifying chemical symbols; (4) identifying parts of a human body; (5) reading a line graph; (6) identifying electronic and…

As part of a series of tests to measure mastery of specific skills in the natural sciences, copies of tests 14 through 26 include: (14) calculating an average; (15) identifying parts of the scientific method; (16) reading a geological map; (17) identifying elements, mixtures and compounds; (18) using Ohm's law in calculation; (19) interpreting…

As part of a series of tests to measure mastery of specific skills in the natural sciences, copies of tests 27 through 38 include: (27) reading a grid plan; (28) identifying common invertebrates; (29) characteristics of invertebrates; (30) identifying elements; (31) using scientific notation part I; (32) classifying minerals; (33) predicting the…

As part of a series of tests to measure mastery of specific skills in the natural sciences, copies of tests 39 through 50 include: (39) using a code; (40) naming the parts of a microscope; (41) calculating density and predicting flotation; (42) estimating metric length; (43) using SI symbols; (44) using s=vt; (45) applying a novel theory; (46)…