My dissertation examines three current challenges of international large-scale assessments (ILSAs) associated with the transition from linear testing to an adaptive testing design. ILSAs are important for making comparisons among populations and informing countries about the quality of their educational systems. ILSA's results inform policymakers…

Computer Adaptive Multistage Testing (ca-MST), which take the advantage of computer technology and adaptive test form, are widely used, and are now a popular issue of assessment and evaluation. This study aims at analyzing the effect of different panel designs, module lengths, and different sequence of a parameter value across stages and change in…

This simulation study examines the measurement precision, item exposure rates, and the depth of the MAP® Growth™ item pools under various grade-level restrictions. Unlike most summative assessments, MAP Growth allows examinees to see items from any grade level, regardless of the examinee's actual grade level. It does not limit the test to items…

David Thissen, a professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Quantitative Program at the University of North Carolina, has consulted and served on technical advisory committees for assessment programs that use item response theory (IRT) over the past couple decades. He has come to the conclusion that there are usually two purposes…

Variable-length computerized adaptive testing (CAT) can provide examinees with tailored test lengths. With the fixed standard error of measurement ("SEM") termination rule, variable-length CAT can achieve predetermined measurement precision by using relatively shorter tests compared to fixed-length CAT. To explore the application of…

The present study showed that Rasch-based adaptive tests--when item domains were finite and specifiable--had greater precision in domain score estimation than test forms created by random sampling of items. Results were replicated across four data sources representing a variety of criterion-referenced, domain-based tests varying in length.…

The Rasch model for test analysis is described and compared with two-parameter and three-parameter latent-trait models. Conditional maximum likelihood equations for estimating item parameters are derived, and estimates of person parameters are described together with their confidence intervals. Goodness of fit tests are discussed, including a…

Simulated tailored tests were used to investigate the relationships between characteristics of the item pool and the computer program, and the reliability and bias of the resulting ability estimates. The computer program was varied to provide for various step sizes (differences in difficulty between successive steps) and different acceptance…

An experiment was performed with computer-generated data to investigate some of the operational characteristics of tailored testing as they are related to various provisions of the computer program and item pool. With respect to the computer program, two characteristics were varied: the size of the step of increase or decrease in item difficulty…