Six anomalies in achievement test scores encountered by the Austin Independent School District are described. These include crossing gaps with uninterpolated medians; total group median declines while all subgroups' medians rise; outlying total percentiles; percentile and grade equivalent growth antithesis; same grade equivalent earning a…

Two studies were carried out to determine proficiency of special education teacher diagnosticians (N=95 and 39) in knowledge and application of basic measurement concepts (including reliability, validity, norms, criterion referenced interpretations, measures of central tendency and variability, and interpretive aids). Findings showed that both…

An analysis of scatter among the Tests of Cognitive Ability for the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery was conducted on scores of 3,566 grade 1 through 12 students from the standardization sample. Large mean high subtest-low subtest differences were noted for each grade level and compared to Wechsler Intelligence Scale for…

A summary of the results of language arts and mathematics achievement tests that were administered to approximately 20,000 third and sixth grade students in Department of Defense Dependent Schools, this report provides a description of the testing objectives, assessment procedures, and achievement standards for the project and offers a brief…

When 74 sixth-grade special education students were tested on the fifth-and fourth-grade levels of the 1977 California Achievement Test, their scores dropped significantly, although converted to in-level norms. Test validity, measured by the number of students scoring at floor level, on the in-level versus below-level norms, was subtest dependent.…

The problem of establishing appropriate passing scores is one of evaluation rather than estimation and not amenable to exact solution. It must therefore be approached by (1) identifying criteria for judging the acceptability of the passing score, (2) collecting the data appropriate to assessing each relevant criterion, and (3) judging how well the…

THIS STUDY ATTEMPTED TO DEVELOP A GROUP TEST OF GENERAL ABILITY WHICH WILL ACCURATELY ASSESS THE INTELLECTUAL CAPACITIES OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS IN THE PUERTO RICAN SCHOOLS. THE OBJECTIVES WERE--(1) TO DETERMINE WHAT COMMON INTELLECTUAL TASKS INDICATE MENTAL ABILITY IN SPANISH-SPEAKING PUERTO RICAN AND OTHER ENGLISH-SPEAKING AMERICAN…

THESE ARTICLES ARE WRITTEN TO GIVEN ESSENTIAL FACTS ON TESTING TO INTERESTED CITIZENS. THE IMPORTANCE OF TESTING LIES IN ITS VALUE AS A GUIDANCE TOOL. TESTS REPRESENT ONLY A SAMPLING OF A PERSON'S PERFORMANCE FROM WHICH GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS ARE INFERRED. THERE ARE NUMEROUS TYPES OF TESTS DESIGNED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES, MEASUREMENT IN SOME IS…

A brief, nontechnical state-of-the-art review of four common instruments and current practices in the field of scholastic aptitude testing is presented. The instruments include: the 1971 Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT), 1973 Henmon-Nelson Tests of Mental Ability (H-NTMA), 1979 Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) and the 1970 Short Form Test of…

Rasch and classical test analysis methods were compared with respect to their similarities and differences in the identification of noninformative items and implausible person records. Using computer simulated data with known parameters, each model was evaluated in terms of its effectiveness in: (1) identifying noninformative or "bad"…

With no previous training in data processing, a teacher can set up a computer scoring program for objective test materials that will save many hours of manual work in test correction, scoring, ranking, and item analysis. Teachers, school administrators, and counselors can employ statistical information contained in computer printout sheets to plan…

This paper questions evidence for the thesis that causal reasoning of older children is more logical than that of younger ones, and describes two experiments which attempted to determine (1) whether there are true developmental differences in causal reasoning, and (2) what explanations for developmental differences can be supported. In the first…

The path from a collection of observations and measurements to a set of warranted conclusions is fraught with hazards. This chapter describes the path and offers some guidance on how to negotiate it. It also discusses presenting results in a way that can be understood by nontechnically trained persons. It should enable the reader to better…

Score differentials between the revised Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) were investigated in 25 possibly mentally handicapped adolescents (10 white, 15 black). Each S was individually administered both the WISC-R and the WAIS. Results supported the hypothesis that for mentally…

Many problems in the areas of test interpretation and educational assessment are causing difficulties for educators. On one hand the public and legislators are requesting more state testing programs and assessment programs, while on the other, educators realize the problems concerning testing and test interpretation. Difficulties arise when tests…