The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the nation's only ongoing representative sample survey of student achievement in core subject areas. In 2000, NAEP conducted a national mathematics assessment of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade students. State-level results were also collected at the fourth and eighth grades within…

Compares verbal fluency of 156 K-6 urban children (72 Hispanic, 41 Black, 43 White) using the Thematic Apperception Test and two versions of TEMAS, a new thematic apperception test using minority or nonminority characters, cultural themes, and urban backgrounds. Finds females more verbally fluent and Hispanics/Blacks more fluent on TEMAS. (MH)

Test anxiety scores from a 15-item internally consistent instrument were correlated with performance on an aggregate science test administered to 171 fourth- and 187 eight-grade students subdivided by sex and race. The interpretation of data possibly suggest that test anxiety is operating differentially for black and white students. (Author/PN)

Clues in the answers given to the Spanish Advanced Placement Examination questions can identify the test-taker as having learned the language in the classroom or as a native speaker. The Educational Testing Service has found mechanisms to ensure that the tests are equally suited to the two groups. (MSE)

A sample of 38 ninth-grade students was tested with a randomized response questionnaire designed to ask respondents sensitive questions with the assurance that responses would remain anonymous. Results of the investigation indicate that this technique can be used effectively with ninth-grade students and with large groups of individuals to obtain…

This study investigated the adequacy of the Rasch model in equating existing standardized tests with groups of examinees not widely separated in ability. With the exception of one test pair and one grade level, the Rasch model using the anchor test procedure provided a reasonably satisfactory means of equating. (Author/CTM)

The test battery and the norms groups are briefly described. Questions are raised about the reliability and validity data in the manual. The Test of Learning Ability and the Educational Planning Questionnaire are indicated to be useful additions to the battery. (CTM)

Describes a pilot project in Montgomery County, Maryland aimed at developing a clear, functional procedure for identification of specific learning disabilities. An interdisciplinary team is used to interpret test scores that compare intelligence and achievement, and serves as a consultant to school staff members. (JAC)

California Assessment Program's application of matrix sampling and item response curve theory to the scaling and reporting of state assessment data is described. It is designed to express educational outcomes in an efficient and interpretable form that is both immediately informative and suited to analysis over extended periods of time.…

Stephens et al. (EJ 055 112) committed a serious methodological error in holding chronological age constant in their IQ measures and allowing it to vary in their Piagetian developmental measures. This error is unrelated to differences in factor rotation methods used by these authors and was not answered in their reply. (CTM)

The objectives, instruction, and evaluation in health professions course were studied by an evaluation approach to determine the degree of congruence among the three components. During the three years studied there were shifts in course content emphasis and yearly variations in the content tested. (Author/MLW)

Presented are the combined test results of chemistry students from seven Central Indiana schools on the ACS-NSTA achievement exam, Form 1975, Part 1. Additional variables investigated include sex, grade level, Longeot classification, and an item analysis of the test items. (BT)

The Greenspan-Lieberman Observational System Revised was used to evaluate characteristics of dyadic interactions between 10 hearing mothers and hearing toddlers (HH), 10 deaf mothers and deaf toddlers (DD), and 10 hearing mothers and deaf toddlers (HD). Findings suggest that assessment instruments require some modifications and results must be…

Sixty subjects age 6 to 30 months were assessed with the Bayley Mental Scale of Infant Development (BMSID). Mean scores were substantially higher than standardized norms would predict, indicating that Bayley norms need to be revised, and that strict interpretation of the BMSID may result in misdiagnosis of some infants with developmental…

Scaling methodologies used in analysis of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) surveys since 1984 are reviewed. The plausible values methodology developed for NAEP scale-score analyses is described in the contexts of item response theory and average response method scaling. Current NAEP research in scaling is discussed. (SLD)