Translation testing methodology has been criticized for its subjective character. No real strides have so far been made in developing an objective translation test. In this paper, certain detailed procedures including various phases of pretesting have been performed to achieve objectivity and scorability in translation testing methodology. In…

This study compared 4,594 student responses from three different surveys of incoming students at the University of South Florida (USF) with data from Florida's State University System (SUS) admissions files to determine what proportion of error occurs in the survey responses. Specifically, the study investigated the amount of measurement error in…

The original Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) have been among the most popular measures of performance and aptitude of infants. In this study, the construct validity of scores on the Behavior Rating Scale of the revised Bayley Scales, the BSID-II, was investigated using national standardization and clinical samples of children ranging in…

Texas college students must pass all three sections (reading, writing, and mathematics) of the state-mandated Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) Test or must enroll in remedial course work. Over 98,000 TASP scores from 73 community, junior, and technical colleges for the academic year 1996-1997 were analyzed to ascertain if less-prepared…

This annual report, which provides information on the status of Pre-K through 12 education in Iowa, is divided into six basic sections: preface, enrollments, staff, programs, student performance, and school finance. The preface provides context by describing Iowa's changing demographic, economic, and social landscape. Each section presents summary…

This report provides information about the performance of 1998 graduating seniors nationwide who took the ACT Assessment as sophomores, juniors, or seniors. Caution in applying these results is advised because these ACT-tested seniors may not be representative of the total population of graduating seniors. Information is provided according to the…

Standardized test scores are used to determine outcomes at national, state, and local school district levels; and teachers feel pressure to raise their students' scores on high stakes tests. This study evaluated score enhancing strategies most likely used by student teachers and their perceptions about the degree of appropriateness of these…

This paper reports on a pilot study examining how Chinese-speaking learners of English reset the non-empty topic [-Te] parameter. Whereas Chinese allows empty topics coindexed with variables in both subject and object positions, English does not. With respect to this particular parameter, Chinese can be said to form a superset of English as the…

This study examined performance of a simulated computerized adaptive test that was designed to help direct the development of a medical recertification examination. The item pool consisted of 229 single-best-answer items from a random sample of 3,000 examinees, calibrated using the two-parameter logistic model. Examinees' responses were known. For…

This report gives the results of the Primary Assessment Program (PAP) in Aboriginal schools (Australia) for the 1987 school year. The purpose of PAP is to provide instructional feedback on student achievement in reading and mathematics and to provide indicators of performance for public reporting. All Aboriginal schools which had students in grade…

Across the field of educational assessment the case has been made for alternatives to the multiple-choice item type. Most of the alternative types of items require a subjective evaluation by a rater. The reliability of this subjective rating is a key component of these types of alternative items. In this paper, measures of reliability are…

This study investigated whether mean scores in school effectiveness ratings were masking poor delivery of educational services to low achievers in a sample of 242 Louisiana public elementary schools accounting for over 18,000 third graders tested in 1989. Ten separate multiple regression models, each producing studentized residuals used as school…

Recent years have seen a new and serious commitment to improving methods of assessing academic performance. Schools, school districts, and states are experimenting with a wide range of assessment alternatives. This paper is about this new commitment to assessment and begins with some background on standardized tests because the rationale for…

The purpose of this research was to investigate whether teachers' attitudes toward specific test preparation, whether they saw administration practices such as cheating, and the amount of pressure they felt to increase standardized test scores predicted teachers' test preparation and administration practices. Using the theory of personal action of…

Results of standardized tests taken by students in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District are reported. Emphasis is on tests developed for the state of Texas, but results from other standardized tests are also reported. In October 1990, 22,443 students in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 took the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS),…