Advances in maze selection curriculum-based measurement have led to several published tools with technical information for interpretation (e.g., norms, benchmarks, cut-scores, classification accuracy) that have increased their usefulness for universal screening. A range of scoring practices have emerged for evaluating student performance on maze…

Universal screening in elementary schools often includes administering curriculum-based measurement in reading (CBM-R); but in first grade, nonsense word fluency (NWF) and, to a lesser extent, word identification fluency (WIF) are used because of concerns that CBM-R is too difficult for emerging readers. This study used Kane's argument-based…

How to describe the Individually Prescribed Instruction (IPI) Placement Tests to the non-IPI community; how to assess student performance over a period of time, and what information can be obtained relative to the IPI curriculum: such are the concerns of this study. A possible solution to the first problem is to describe the IPI Placement Test…

Examined the impact of elementary school students' participation in test interpretation on teachers' and students' attitudes toward the tests. Results showed students who participated in the interpretation session felt they had done better on the test. Most teachers reported positive attitudes toward the program. (JAC)

This research addresses the question of the comparability of equal scores on the same test from children in different grades. The results indicate that the scores are comparable, and support the assignment of Iowa Tests of Basic Skills levels that match the child's developmental level. (Author)

Five new test batteries are reviewed: California Achievement Tests, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, Metropolitan Achievement Tests, SRA Achievement Series, and Sequential Tests of Educational Progress. The review covers six basic areas: test administration, norming, test scores, reporting and interpretation, aptitude test considerations, and general…

A factor analysis was performed for two levels of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS). Results showed that there was essentially one common factor with little evidence that the user would gain much nonredundant information from the 15 scores yielded by the ITBS. (Author/GK)

Describes interpretation technique for providing detailed feedback to students about their performance on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Students summarize their own performance on each major skill. The practical aspects of understanding the full use of routinely collected data make the approach desirable. (Author)

Research on an interpretation technique (IT) for using the Pupil Item Response Record (PIRR) of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) to actively involve students in their test interpretation was presented. The major concern of the study was to determine whether the IT had any impact on attitudes toward or knowledge about the ITBS. Students in…

The developer of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills scaling responds to Hoover's attacks on Thurstone and item response theory scales (TM 510 173). While agreeing that grade equivalent (GE) scores are presently the most appropriate developmental score for reporting elementary grade achievement tests, limitations and inconsistencies in the GE…

This document traces the development of the testing and reporting system used in the Elkhart Community Schools (ECS), Indiana, from 1981 through 1985. Performance objectives were established when the program was initiated. Analyses of standardized test results were provided for teachers, principals, and central administrative staff. All school…

The Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) provides separate ability estimates organized into three components; verbal, quantitative and non-verbal. There is no composite score. An analysis of scores obtained on the CAT and the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) by a sample student population indicated that discrepancies of twenty points or more among the…

The factor structure of a new co-normed cognitive and achievement battery for children, the Differential Ability Scales (DAS) was investigated. The DAS was factor analyzed in conjunction with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R), and the composite score of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). Subjects were 56 six- to…

One of the consequences of Ohio's educational accountability efforts mandated under Ohio Senate Bill 55 (SB 55) and the traditional testing programs of Ohio school districts is the generation of huge amounts of data. In order for school-based educators to organize and explore these voluminous amounts of information, they need exposure to…