A general framework of latent trait item response models for continuous responses is given. In contrast to classical test theory (CTT) models, which traditionally distinguish between true scores and error scores, the responses are clearly linked to latent traits. It is shown that CTT models can be derived as special cases, but the model class is…

This simulation study examines the characteristics of the Explanatory Item Response Model (EIRM) when estimating treatment effects when compared to classical test theory (CTT) sum and mean scores and item response theory (IRT)-based theta scores. Results show that the EIRM and IRT theta scores provide generally equivalent bias and false positive…

The major purpose of this study is to examine the quality of ratings assigned to CR (constructed-response) questions in large-scale assessments from the perspective of Rasch Measurement Theory. Rasch Measurement Theory provides a framework for the examination of rating scale category structure that can yield useful information for interpreting the…

Diagnostic scores are of increasing interest in educational testing due to their potential remedial and instructional benefit. Naturally, the number of educational tests that report diagnostic scores is on the rise, as are the number of research publications on such scores. This article provides a critical evaluation of diagnostic score reporting…

The validity of cognitive ability tests is often interpreted solely as a function of the cognitive abilities that these tests are supposed to measure, but other factors may be at play. The effects of test anxiety on the criterion related validity (CRV) of tests was the topic of a recent study by Reeve, Heggestad, and Lievens (2009) (Reeve, C. L.,…

The vast majority of measures have, at their core, a purpose of personal and social change. If test developers and users want measures to have personal and social consequences and impact, then it is critical to consider the consequences and side effects of measurement in the validation process itself. The consequential basis of test interpretation…

The authors welcome and appreciate the comments of Eric Grodsky and Sigal Alon on their article "Shadow Education, American Style: Test Preparation, the SAT and College Enrollment." In their comments, Grodsky takes issue with several important theoretical and methodological aspects of their article and Alon highlights key processes…

Buchmann, Condron and Roscigno argue in their article, "Shadow Education, American Style: Test Preparation, the SAT and College Enrollment," that the activities in which students engage to prepare for college entrance exams are forms of shadow education, a means by which more advantaged parents seek to pass their privileged status along…

The theory of score validity has undergone several revisions within the measurement community. The current consensus among professionals is a rejection of the trinitarian doctrine (J. P. Guion, 1980) of score validity and the recognition of a unified view that includes social consequences of test interpretation and use. While some aspects of the…

Presents a model of tests and measurement that identifies test scores with Hilbert space vectors and true and error components of scores with linear operators. This geometric point of view brings to light relations among elementary concepts in test theory, including reliability, validity, and parallel tests. (Author/SLD)

Conditions under which interaction effects estimated from classical total scores, rather than item response theory trait scores, can be misleading are discussed with reference to analysis of variance (ANOVA). When no interaction effects exist on the true latent variable, spurious interaction effects can be observed from the total score scale. (SLD)

Coefficient alpha, the most commonly used estimate of internal consistency, is often considered a lower bound estimate of reliability, though the extent of its underestimation is not typically known. Many researchers are unaware that coefficient alpha is based on the essentially tau-equivalent measurement model. It is the violation of the…

Some applications of Bayesian decision theory to intelligent tutoring systems are considered. How the problem of adapting the appropriate amount of instruction to the changing nature of a student's capabilities during the learning process can be situated in the general framework of Bayesian decision theory is discussed in the context of the…

Errors in self-reports of three academic performance measures are analyzed. Empirical errors are shown to depart radically from both no-error and random-error assumptions. Self-reports by females depart farther from the no-error and random-error models for all three performance measures. (Author/BW)

Value-added models in education research allow researchers to explore how a wide variety of policies and measured school inputs affect the academic performance of students. Researchers typically quantify the impacts of such interventions in terms of "effect sizes", i.e., the estimated effect of a one standard deviation change in the…