Unfolding item response theory (IRT) models are important alternatives to dominance IRT models in describing the response processes on self-report tests. Their usage is common in personality measures, since they indicate potential differentiations in test score interpretation. This paper aims to gain a better insight into the structure of trait…

A computer program generating question series for achievement examinations was presented and the relative reliability of computer-generated and instructor-selected items was investigated. To provide validity for examinations generated by an original computer program, representative processes of construction and sampling were operationally defined.…

Reasonable and practical solutions to two major problems confronting the developer of any test of educational achievement (what to measure and how to measure it) are proposed, defended, and defined. (Author/PN)

This document is a training module designed to familiarize practicing school psychologists and school psychology students with the field of criterion-referenced measurement and recent developments within the field. The introduction gives reasons for the need for criterion-referenced testing as opposed to norm-referenced tests which include legal…

The basic concepts, practices, and considerations in assessment are outlined in order to provide the reader with a beginning knowledge of assessment techniques and procedures. Discussion includes the goals of assessment, types of tests, criteria for instrument selection, test construction, data collection procedures, and statistical analysis of…

Technical problems in the assessment of learning disabilities (LD) are only a small part of the problems leading to the misidentification of children in this category of handicap. Given all the other motives and purposes served by labeling a child LD in school, apparently sound measurement advice may actually do more harm than good. (LC)

A reading program's effectiveness can be assessed by investigating skills improvement together with attitude improvement. Frequently, teachers make questionable assumptions about student reading attitudes. To provide educators with a more accurate picture of students' expressed feelings, students' attitudes toward reading should be measured with…

A vital aspect of music education often left unattended in preservice education is testing and evaluation. Discussed are ways to measure musical achievement and aptitude and factors to consider when selecting a test for student evaluation. Recommended achievement and aptitude tests are described. (RM)

This bibliography lists selected articles, research reports, monographs, books, and reference works related to criterion-referenced measurement. It is limited primarily to material which deals directly with criterion-referenced tests and testing procedures, and includes reports on computer-assisted test construction and the adaptation of…

Summarizes some of the findings of recent study of tests designed to determine the English language proficiency of nonnative speakers. (CFM)

In this paper, the author reviews a number of criticisms that have been made of the use of standardized tests in the social studies and reviews 11 general, skills, and discipline-oriented standardized tests for social studies. Standardized tests evaluating the results of the new social studies courses are open to criticism on the basis of…

This is an interpretive manual designed to accompany the Test of Proficiency in English as a Second Language, a comprehensive test assessing production and perception skills in written and spoken English and intended for use in Grades 4-6 in Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. The manual is divided into three sections. Section one discusses English…

To develop and field test new assessment procedures for the 1969-70 Head Start national evaluation, a list of existing tests measuring selected social and emotional variables was compiled. Tests were selected on these criteria: (1) conceptual soundness, (2) relevance for preschool children, (3) whether disadvantaged children might be expected to…

The relationship between the Instructional Process, Instructional Objectives, and Assessment Tasks, identified at the School City of Gary, Indiana, necessitate an effective testing program. Four characteristics perceived crucial to a sound program were: (1) The program should be continuous, (2) The testing program should be comprehensive, (3)…

This paper presents empirical data concerning the use of a cloze test as a measure of second language proficiency. Grade four students in their fifth year of a French immersion program were tested using both English and French cloze tests. Correlations between the cloze test and other language achievement measures were calculated for both…