Links the theory of washback with the broader concept of impact in educational measurement and to the recent debate on construct validity associated with Messick. Notes that for many years it was asserted that language tests negatively impacted teaching and learning, an impact known as washback. (25 references) (Author/CK)

The assumption called PIRC (proportional item response curve) was tested in which PIRC was used to predict item scores of selected examinees on selected items. Findings show approximate accuracies of prediction for PIRC, the three-parameter logist model, and a modified Rasch model. (12 references) (Author/LB)

Discusses the value of content considerations in the design of language tests and the implications of the findings of various investigations of content analysis. The article argues that content analysis can be viewed as the application of a model of test design to a particular measurement instrument, using judgments of trained analysts. (26…