The reliability of differences between pretest and posttest measures with intervening experimental treatment can be highly reliable under some conditions. If the error components of pretest and posttest measures are correlated, the classical formula for the reliability of differences underestimates the actual reliability of gains. (Author/CM)

Tucker, Damarin, and Messick proposed a "base-free" measure of change which involves the computation of residual scores that are uncorrelated with true scores on the pretest. The present note discusses this change measure and demonstrates that properties they attribute to a are, in fact, properties of b. (Author/CTM)

Provides a condensed description of the criteria and choices for selecting a particular assessment, evaluation, or research design. Strengths and weaknesses of each design are presented. (Author/JEG)

Eight models that can be used to analyze data from a pretest-posttest design are discussed. Artificial data are used to demonstrate that comparisons among some of the models generate results identical to those obtained by using repeated analysis of variance measures. Such results are shown to be potentially misleading. (Author/TJH)

In three Iowa secondary schools, pretests/posttests were completed by 75 physics students, 24 second-year Principles of Technology (PT) students, and 61 controls. Physics and PT students significantly increased achievement in content covered in PT; controls had no gains. PT students' raw scores were 16 points higher on the posttest than physics…

Thirty-one individuals who have provided leadership to the counseling profession completed 3 Q-sorts. These individuals sorted 39 statements about leadership according to 3 phases: when a leadership effort is getting started, when work is progressing, and when a leadership effort is coming to a close. The authors present perspectives on…

This study aims to provide an in-depth qualitative analysis of instructional effects in L2 pragmatics by exploring the manner in which Japanese EFL learners' noticing of target English request forms is constrained by different types of treatment tasks and the subsequent effect of the learners' noticing on their learning outcomes. Following the…

Student use of computers and the internet has increased rapidly in recent years. Teachers ask what types of learning experiences can be facilitated by using the internet in their classrooms (NSBF, 2007). Various surveys of U.S. teachers on internet usage report that having students use the internet for research and information gathering purposes…

The Biology department at Spelman, a historically black women's college has undertaken a major curriculum revision in the last few years. A primary goal of this revision is to increase the breadth of topics in biology classes. Historically, classes in the areas of ecology and evolution have been underrepresented whereas Spelman has always offered…

The study sought to test the hypotheses that effective, guided discussions that facilitate meaningful dialogue about math anxiety would reduce levels of math anxiety in college algebra students, and would enhance course performance and course retention at a large community college in South Texas. The study was quantitative with a qualitative…

As the United States population has become more diverse and the civil rights movement of the 1960s increased attentiveness to the change in population, the need for multicultural awareness has grown (Perry & Fraser, 1993). This study examined if teacher read alouds of multicultural trade books and a scripted instructional intervention could impact…

"Pre-Trip Inspection" of the truck and trailer is one of the components of the current Commercial Driver's License (CDL) test. This part of the CDL test checks the ability of the student to identify the important parts of the commercial vehicle and their potential defects. The "Virtual Check Ride System" (VCRS), a…

The problem. The Taiwanese educational system incorporated English classes into the third grade curriculum beginning in 2005, making English language education more and more important in Taiwan. The goals for implementing this English educational policy in elementary schools are for students to be able to comprehend letters, phonology, and…

First 5 LA contracted with Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., (MPR) to conduct the First 5 LA/LAUP Universal Preschool Child Outcomes Study (UPCOS). After completing Phase 1 (spring 2007) in which the authors pilot tested the feasibility, reliability, and validity of selected child development measures for the culturally and linguistically diverse…

This article argues that intervention pilot test evaluations have focused insufficient attention on the measurement of project fidelity and the subsequent use of fidelity results for (a) interpreting variations in project outcomes and (b) understanding the rationale for teachers' deviations from implementation protocols. The authors report on the…