This study demonstrates that the validity and usefulness of mathematics achievement tests can be improved by defining psychologically meaningful subscores that yield differential relations with student, teacher, and school variables. The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) 8th- and 10th-grade math tests were subjected to full…

This paper describes the development, implementation, and results of a 3-stage model of program assessment for teacher education. A survey instrument of 46 items was developed utilizing Loadman and Gustafson's National Database for Teacher Education. Data were derived from a telephone interview survey of 201 out of approximately 400 recent teacher…

This study examined the presence of Ely's conditions that facilitate innovation, as reported by Internet-using teachers in leading-edge schools. The conditions that make up the framework are: (1) dissatisfaction with the status quo; (2) existence of knowledge and skills; (3) availability of resources; (4) availability of time; (5) existence of…

Classroom boredom in the secondary mathematics classroom is a problem that can be addressed from knowledge of the intrinsic motivational variable of "interestingness." The lack of a theoretical model of interest is an obstacle in research that investigates this variable. This paper describes the three stages in the development of a model…

Constructs underlying student ratings of instruction in an introductory master's level educational research course were investigated in order to gain a better understanding of instructor behaviors that facilitate student success. During academic years 1990-91 and 1991-92, an institutionally developed scale was administered to students enrolled in…

Investigations into item bias provide an empirical basis for the identification and elimination of test items which appear to measure different traits across populations or cultural groups. The Psychometric rationales for six approaches to the identification of biased test items are reviewed: (1) Transformed item difficulties: within-group…

To assess the impact of various rating scale formats in rating student teachers, a Likert-type scale (Highly agree/slightly agree/neither/slightly disagree/highly disagree) was derived from the graphic scale currently used by the cooperating teachers and university supervisors. They rated the music student teachers on an eight-point scale from…

Proceedings of a 1981 joint conference sponsored by the Southern Association for Institutional Research (SAIR) and the North Carolina Association for Institutional Research are presented. The conference theme was the practice of institutional research. Contents include preconference workshop reports, speeches, abstracts of papers, and reports of…

A model of self concept in children was examined by conducting a construct validation of a self concept instrument, the Self-Appraisal Inventory (SAI). The SAI was an 80-item instrument with four subscales: General, Family, Peer and Scholastic, all of which were based on behavioral objectives. The model was made more useful for a school setting…

This partially annotated bibliography of journal articles, dissertations, convention papers, research reports, and a few books and unpublished manuscripts provides a comprehensive coverage of work on latent trait theory and practice. Documents are arranged alphabetically by author. The period covered ranges from the early 1950's to the present.…

Four major topics were discussed at the conference: application of information theory to testing; recent advances in psychometric methods; evaluating group interaction; and new developments in the education of abler students. Papers delivered were: Multiple Assignment of Persons to Jobs, by Paul S. Dwyer; New Light on Test Strategy from Decision…

A LEARNING MODEL TO IDENTIFY FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE DIFFICULTY OF A PROBLEM ITEM WAS SUPPORTED EMPIRICALLY, AND INDICATED THAT THE NUMBER OF STEPS REQUIRED TO SOLVE A PROBLEM WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT VARIABLE IN PREDICTING BOTH ERROR PROBABILITY AND RESPONSE LATENCY. THE MODEL, IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH DIFFERENTIAL PREDICTIONS OF DIFFICULTY IN…

The study developed a pilot interview schedule and analyzed the decision-making process of 326 central Nebraska 1973 high school graduates relative to their educational/occupational choices during the following year. Data were gathered through personal interviews with the graduates and a telephone survey of their parents and were analyzed to…

This study was aimed at providing statistical and experiential descriptive data of value to those concerned with the type of elementary school organizational structure and facility that best serves individualized learning. Test subjects consisted of 70 boys and 62 girls enrolled in or graduated from a nongraded open plan elementary school program…

The quantitative relationship between factors previously identified as affecting the extent and intensity of training within organizations was explored through a survey of companies in Australia's entertainment and process manufacturing sectors. A self-completion questionnaire was mailed first to a sample of 446 companies across Australia (112 of…