A method for detecting and interpreting disturbances of the local-independence assumption among items that share common stimulus material or other features is presented. Dichotomous and polytomous Rasch models are used to analyze structure of the learning outcome superitems. (SLD)

Performances of the Mantel Haenszel odds-ratio estimator and chi-square significance test were investigated using simulated data for 500 reference group and 500 focal group examinees. Results demonstrate the importance of using both the odds-ratio and significance tests in interpreting the presence or absence of differential item functioning. (SLD)

Multilinear formula scoring (MFS) is reviewed, with emphasis on estimating option characteristic curves (OCSs). MFS was used to estimate OCSs for the arithmetic reasoning subtest of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery for 2,978 examinees. A second analysis obtained OCSs for simulated data. The use of MFS is discussed. (SLD)

TAILOR, a computer program which implements an approach to tailored testing, was examined by Monte Carlo methods. The evaluation showed the procedure to be highly reliable and capable of reducing the required number of tests items by about one half. (Author/JKS)

Lord's, Millman's and Saupe's methods of approximating the standard error of measurement are reviewed. Through an empirical demonstration involving 200 university classroom tests, all three approximations are shown to be biased. (Author/JKS)

The restrictions on item difficulties that must be met when binomial models are applied to domain-referenced testing are examined. Both a deterministic and a stochastic conception of item responses are discussed with respect to difficulty and Guttman-type items. (Author/BH)

Prior research with the Professional and Career Administrative Examination (PACE), a multiple abilities test battery for federal candidates, demonstrated practice effects (score gains) on alternate forms of the test parts within one administration of the battery. These effects were largest for those abilities including item types constructed…

Two approaches to the validation of occupational interest inventories are considered. The approaches vary according to whether one is interested in predicting students' occupational preferences as opposed to assisting counselors in advisement. One empirical example using female college students is presented. (Author/JKS)

A simplex process model of the cross-lagged correlation paradigm was applied to 16 tests administered to samples of Black and White males and females in grades 5, 7, 9, and 11. Relationships among the measures as well as the use of the model are discussed. (Author/JKS)

The biasing effects of a pretest on subsequent post-test results were investigated in two experimental studies. In general, the results argue for using designs without pretests. (Author/JKS)

A two-stage process that considers the multidimensionality of tests under the framework of unidimensional item response theory is described and evaluated. Findings from a simulation indicate that gains in estimation robustness and score interpretation are possible with almost no sacrifice of goodness of fit when using this two-stage approach. (SLD)

For six tests, coefficient delta as an index for internal optimality is computed. Internal optimality is defined as the magnitude of risk of the decision procedure with respect to the true score. Results are compared with an alternative index (coefficient kappa) for assessing the consistency of decisions. (Author/JKS)

A basic structure approach is proposed for obtaining multidimensional scale values for attitude, achievement, or personality items from response data. The technique permits the unconfounding of scale values due to response bias and content and partitions item indices of popularity or difficulty among a number of relevant dimensions. (Author/BH)

The advantages of using psychometric thoery to design short forms of intelligence tests are demonstrated by comparing such usage to a systematic random procedure that has previously been used. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Revised (WISC-R) Short Form is presented as an example. (JKS)

Under given conditions, conventional testing and computer-generated repeatable testing (CGRT) are equally effective for estimating examinee ability; CGRT is more effective for estimating the mean ability level of a group and less effective for estimating ability differences among individuals. These conclusion are drawn from domain-referenced test…