Describes the individual chapters of this collection and notes that, although the book lacks consistency in some respects, it contains state-of-the-art reflections on the modeling of change and should stimulate discussion for experts and practitioners. (SLD)

The Jansen and Roskam (1986) approach to joining categories of graded responses presents valid arguments that are subject to empirical test. The multiplicative Poisson (MPM) model of D. Andrich can be seen as an approximation to the continuous response model of Muller (1987). An extension of the MPM is suggested. (SLD)

These further remarks on the nondichotomization of graded responses attempt to clarify the differences in perspective between the two previous articles. The special case of the multiplicative Poisson model reveals why the joining assumption and dichotomization are not, in general, properties of the unidimensional Rasch model. (SLD)

Any item response theory (IRT) researcher or practitioner will find something of interest in this book, which covers a broad range of topics in essays by well-known researchers. Chapters are organized into sections devoted to parametric and nonparametric IRT topics. (SLD)

This book is written for program administrators who want to become familiar with program evaluation methods. Outcome-based evaluation is defined as a form of program evaluation that uses objective person-referenced outcomes (measuring the functional level and social roles of program clients) to analyze effectiveness, impact, or costs and benefits.…

The clarification provided by Williams and Zimmerman on the reliability of gain scores is translated into recognizable patterns of change that tend to produce reliable or unreliable gain scores. The relevance of the traditional idea of reliability to the measurement of change is also discussed. (SLD)

FINDIT Version 2.20--a database-retrieval software application to assist researchers/users in locating references in the "Journal of Educational Measurement" and "Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice" from 1975 to 1988--is reviewed. The system includes a cumulative index of citations and search/retrieval software.…

This volume is designed to supplement contemporary textbooks on measurement and testing by explicating some often neglected topics, with particular emphasis on item response theory (IRT). Six chapters focus on the measurement of cognitive abilities, four focus on personality measurement, and a closing chapter contains an overview of IRT. The book…

This book provides a historical overview of item-response theory (IRT) and contains a compendium of item-response-theory research. Each of its six sections deals with a unique application of a model or a family of models. Requires a strong psychometric background to understand some of the discussions. (SLD)

The reliability of a gain is determined by the reliabilities of the components, the correlation between them, and their standard deviations. Reliability is not inherently low, but the components of gains in many investigations make low reliability likely and require caution in the use of gain scores. (SLD)

The critiques by L. Collins and L. Humphreys in this issue illustrate problems with the use of gain scores. Collins' examples show that familiar formulas for the reliability of differences do not reflect the precision of measures of change. Additional examples demonstrate flaws in the conventional approach to reliability. (SLD)

This collection of essays by measurement specialists addresses a variety of important issues in educational and psychological testing. Although not all of the "rules" are new, many topics of contemporary interest are discussed, some in detail that exceeds what the psychologist and educator really need to know. (SLD)

The book reviewed is a compendium of current thinking about measurement theory and test use. It includes content by 26 authors at 3 levels: (1) accessible to educators, policy makers, and graduate students; (2) suited for technical students; and (3) written for qualified measurement specialists. Strengths and weaknesses are noted. (SLD)

"Tests in Print IV" is a two-volume comprehensive master index of commercially published separate test titles in print that are available for purchase and use. There are over 3,000 entries, the majority of which originated in the United States. It is an invaluable resource for English-speaking test users. (SLD)

A program designed to administer questionnaires on IBM and IBM-compatible personal computers is described. The program prompts subjects to indicate responses by clicking on a graphic line segment or entering a numeric value. The program enhances accuracy in estimating moderating effects by overcoming transcriptional errors and scale coarseness.…