Chapters in this book present the challenges and dilemmas faced by researchers as they created new computerized assessments, focusing on issues addressed in developing, scoring, and administering the assessments. Chapters are: (1) "Beyond Bells and Whistles; An Introduction to Computerized Assessment" (Julie B. Olson-Buchanan and Fritz Drasgow);…

This document is part of a series of materials meant to promote understanding of knowledge and skills students must have and the kinds of work they must produce to be successful on the LEAP 21. LEAP 21 is an integral part of the Louisiana school and district accountability system passed by the state legislature and signed into law in 1997. The…

When determining criterion-referenced test length, problems of guessing are shown to be more serious than expected. A new method of scoring is presented that corrects for guessing without assuming that guessing is random. Empirical investigations of the procedure are examined. Test length can be substantially reduced. (Author/CM)

The test item content of 17 language assessment tools that are widely used in a school or preschool setting are displayed in tabular form to assist speech-language pathologists. By noting the categories that are marked, the clinician can compare the breadth of the tests. (SEW)

Three item selection methods for criterion-referenced tests are examined: the classical theory of item difficulty and item-test correlation; the latent trait theory of item characteristic curves; and a decision-theoretic approach for optimal item selection. Item contribution to the standardized expected utility of mastery testing is discussed. (CM)

Despite the 50 percent probability of a correctly guessed response, a multiple true-false examination should provide sufficient score variability for adequate discrimination without formula scoring. This scoring system directs examinees to respond to each item, with their scores based simply on the number of correct responses. (Author/CM)

A comparison of double as opposed to single multiple-choice questions yielded significant differences in regard to item difficulty, item discrimination, and internal reliability, but not concurrent validity. (Author/PN)

The School of Architecture faculty posed the methodological problem to construct a scale of 10 items or less to reliably evaluate instruction at different levels of technical and artistic instruction. Among the first 10 ordered items were: "The instructor did a good job" and "The course was worthwhile." (CM)

Describes computer program designed to diagnose student arithmetic achievement in following categories: number concepts, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Capabilities of the program are discussed, including immediate diagnosis, tailored testing, test security (unique tests generated), generative responses (nonmultiple choice),…

Nonrestricted-answer, multiple-choice test items are recommended as a way of including more facts and fewer incorrect answers in test items, and they do not cue successful guessing as restricted multiple choice items can. Examination construction, scoring, and reliability are discussed. (MSE)

Evidence of biases in the correct answers in multiple-choice test item files were found to include "all of the above" bias in which that answer was correct more than 25 percent of the time, and a bias that the longest answer was correct too frequently. Seven bias types were studied. (Author/CM)

Details the steps followed in the development of the Basic Skills Word List. (FL)

Reports construction of a questionnaire for measuring secondary students' attitudes toward learning French. Suggests that the instrument may be easily adapted to other languages. An appendix provides a list of scaled items on the questionnaire. (SJL)

Focuses on mental tests, test developers, and the social and historical context in which mental tests were developed in the United States and England. Suggests that the tests were produced in an intellectual and social climate heavily influenced by eugenicist theory and that more attention should be paid to research which casts doubts on the…

A short verbal aptitude test was administered under varying time limits with answer sheets specially designed to allow items that had been skipped to be identified. It appeared advantageous for the more able (based on grade point averages) but disadvantageous for the less able to skip items. (Author/RL)