Item response changing as a function of test anxiety was investigated. Seventy graduate students enrolled in a basic statistics course completed 73 multiple-choice items on the course content and the Test Anxiety Scale (TAS). The TAS consisted of 25 items that students indicated were descriptive (true) or not descriptive (false) of themselves.…

This journal for teachers of English as a second language (ESL) to science and engineering students at the university level includes the following articles: (1) "Conversation Piece" by Maria Al-Salem; (2) "Writing a Chemistry Laboratory Report" by Noel Simon; (3) "A Behavioural Summary of a General English Syllabus Content for False Beginners" by…

Item bias in the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) was investigated using black, white, and Hispanic learning disabled children. Samples of 112 blacks, 126 whites, and 117 Hispanics were matched on subtest raw score and sex. An item-by-group analysis of variance was computed on delta transformed item means for each of nine…

This publication contains 317 multiple-choice chemistry test items related to topics covered in the Victorian (Australia) Year 12 chemistry course. It allows teachers access to a range of items suitable for diagnostic and achievement purposes, supplementing the ACER Chemistry Test Item Collection--Year 12 (CHEMTIC). The topics covered are: organic…

The effects of varying the formats of behavior rating scale items on teacher ratings of student hyperactivity were investigated. Two hundred forty-two teachers were asked to rate a variety of children; some had been identified as hyperactive by physicians, parents, or teachers; some were not considered hyperactive; and others were randomly…

One aim of criterion-referenced testing is to classify an examinee without reference to a norm group; therefore, any statements about the dependability of such classification ought to be group-independent also. A population-independent index is proposed in terms of the probability of incorrect classification near the cutoff true score. The…

The purpose of this paper is to derive explicit estimates of the parameters of a latent structure model when the skills represented by the test items are hierarchically related. Two special cases are described, which may be used as an approximation to the Dayton and Macready model and also provide initial estimates in an iterative estimation…

Because it is difficult to ascertain the dimensionality of a test composed of binary items through the use of factor analysis alone, a method is proposed that combines item characteristic curve (ICC) theory with factor analysis. Factor structure of tetrachoric correlations is distorted by non-normal distribution of ability. Item characteristics…

A method is described which used the Rasch model for combining information across administrations of the same items in different tests to different student populations. The method was used in conjunction with the composite point biserial and mean square fit to provide more valid information about item quality. Over 700 items were administered to…

Although cultural content is unavoidable as a backdrop for good language testing, cultural bias in testing English as a second language presents many dangers. A picture cue calling for a correct grammatical response may evoke an incorrect answer if the pictorial content is culturally coded. The cultural background behind a test must be accurately…

It was hypothesized that using asterisks as attention focusing devices would cause students to read all asteriked test items more carefully and would improve test scores of undergraduate education students. Sixty-three undergraduates majoring in elementary or special education were administered a 36-item objective test. Asterisks were used to…

The accuracy with which testees perceived the difficulty of ability-test items was investigated by administering two 41-item conventional tests on verbal ability. High- and low-ability groups responded to test items by choosing the correct alternative and then rating each item's difficulty relative to their levels of ability. Least-squares…

An approach for clearer observation of differences when evaluating educational programs is presented. The standardized tests utilized in evaluating programs are designed to measure topics commonly taught and to maximize individual differences. This masks between-program differences and the unique aspects of different programs. Analysis of item…

Person changes can be of three kinds: developmental trends, swells, and tremors. Person unreliability in the tremor sense (momentary fluctuations) can be estimated from person characteristic curves. Average person reliability for groups can be compared from item characteristic curves. (Author)

This is the second in a sequence of three papers describing an investigation of fifth graders' ability to learn to distinguish between valid and fallacious inferences from simple conditional premises. The measuring instrument used is discussed along with several problems and difficulties encountered in the development of reliable tests in…