This paper describexs the difficulties encountered in developing a teacher merit pay system based on pretest-posttest class gain scores. The different stages of development are scrutinized, from the initial stage of achievement test selection through the specification of a criterion score for superior teacher productivity. The pretest-posttest…

In response to concerns raised by principals at both the elementary and intermediate levels regarding the amount of instructional time consumed by students taking tests which were not related to day-to-day instruction, a study was conducted of the amount of time spent preparing to give such tests and actually administering them, and the manner in…

Methods that have been employed in McGill University's (Montreal, Quebec) program of research into the nature of learning are described. The methods illustrate four phases of inquiry: conceptualization or model-building; data gathering techniques; data representation; and data analysis. For the university's learning task project, the development…

Although much investigation of adult social support networks has been done, little attention has been paid to children's social support networks. Childhood patterns of social support probably influence adult patterns. A study was conducted to describe the social networks of third through sixth grade children. It also tests the validity of a new…

To date, the majority of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) systems for achievement and aptitude testing have been based on the dichotomous item response models. However, current research with polychotomous model-based CATs is yielding promising results. This study extends previous work on nominal response model-based CAT (NR CAT) and compares…

The Matrix Analogies Test-Expanded Form (MAT-EF) and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) were administered in counterbalanced order to two randomly selected samples of students in grades 2 through 5. The MAT-EF was recently developed to measure non-verbal reasoning. The samples included 26 non-handicapped second graders in a rural…

The validity of the Communication Skills and General Knowledge portions of the NTE (National Teacher Examination) Core Battery as predictors of student performance was examined, including scores on the test of professional knowledge required for certification in teacher education programs. This predictive validity was compared to that of the…

This report addresses the problem of sample size in developing prediction equations for college freshman grade averages under the American College Testing (ACT) Assessment Program. For the ACT Assessment, the prediction weights are estimated by standard least squares procedures. Because prediction weights are estimated regression coefficients…

This study compares the results of an indirect measure of writing ability, the Florida State Student Assessment Test, Part I (SSAT-I), and the Production Writing Assessment (PWA). Both instruments were administered to 10th graders in Dade County (Florida) during the spring of 1987. The SSAT-I is an untimed test containing a section indirectly…

The document presents findings from a comprehensive review of the literature on the topic of nonbiased assessment. An introductory chapter describes the review's conceptual framework. Chapters 2 through 9 present analyses of the following major aspects of the topic (sample subtopics in parentheses): historical perspectives (ancient influences,…

The Ball Aptitude Battery (BAB) is a multiple ability test battery of specific work skills. It is designed for use in career counseling and personnel selection. The 14 BAB tests yield 16 ability scores: Clerical, Idea Fluency, Tonal Memory, Pitch Descrimination, Inductive Reasoning, Word Association, Writing Speed, Paper Folding, Vocabulary,…

To show the difficulty of eliminating test bias and to develop a methodology for distinguishing between the effects of prior knowledge and of skill development on reading comprehension, 207 eighth grade students from rural and urban areas were administered an 18-question reading comprehension test. Quantitative and qualitative effects of prior…

The sampling errors of maximum likelihood estimates of item-response theory parameters are studied in the case where both people and item parameters are estimated simultaneously. A check on the validity of the standard error formulas is carried out. The effect of varying sample size, test length, and the shape of the ability distribution is…

The reliability of the Writing Skills Assessment Test (WSAT) given to all entering freshmen at the City University of New York (CUNY) is the subject of this monograph. The monograph states that although the WSAT is scored according to validated and widely-used holistic procedures, some CUNY faculty had expressed concern about aspects of the WSAT's…

The impact of admission criteria to teacher education programs in Alabama and the impact of a recently established exit examination required for certification were examined. Current admission criteria included: (1) completion of 60 semester hours of the approved general studies program with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 1.2 on a 3.0…