Examined the effects of test length and sample size on the alternate forms reliability and equating of simulated mathematics tests composed of constructed response items scaled using the two-parameter partial credit model. Results suggest that, to obtain acceptable reliabilities and accurate equated scores, tests should have at least 8 6-point…

Documents the findings of an experiment in which 12th-grade students taking a mathematics assessment were given monetary incentives to see whether such incentives would improve their performance. The study did not find that incentive increases performance. (Author/SLD)

This research study investigates the effectiveness of two different theoretical models, constructivism and traditionalism, on third grade students' academic achievement in establishing mathematical connections in learning multiplication basic facts. Four third grade classes in a St. Louis area Public School District were grouped into two sections,…

The present study compares vertical scaling results for the Rasch model from BILOG-MG and WINSTEPS. The item and ability parameters for the real and simulated mathematics tests were scaled across five grades, second to sixth. The simulated data were based on real data for a series of mathematics tests for Grades 2 to 6. The results from WINSTEPS…

This qualitative research project studied the efforts of a small public elementary school over the course of 1 academic year to meet higher standards imposed by the state. The state's department of education defined school success in terms of the percentage of students passing a set of multiple-choice, standardized tests in four core areas of the…

Previous research has suggested that skills reflected in test-score performance on tests such as the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) can account for some of the racial differences in average wages. I use a more complete set of test scores available with the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Cohort to reconsider this evidence, and…

The class test is one of the important school practices which construct and convey to the pupils the predominant conception of ability and the related psychometric notion of individuality represented by the school. The aim of this study was to examine how the class test is actually "taught" to children--what sorts of elements the teacher…

A one year project was started in the school year 2003/04 to test the use of symbolic calculators (SC)--the TIVoyage 200--in six 10th grade classes of three grammar schools in Bavaria (Germany). The project was repeated in school year 2004/05. The evaluation of the project was intended to give answers to the following questions: how basic…

Placement tests are rapidly joining the ranks of high-stakes testing and college freshmen are required to take mathematics placement exams to determine their first mathematics course upon entering college. Unfortunately, these exams tend to place students in a lower-level or remedial course. As a result, additional expenses are incurred, degree…

Recent economic research has investigated the extent to which involvement in school-sponsored clubs and sports constitutes human capital investment. Through instrumental variables, the existing literature focuses on identifying long-term impacts in terms of educational attainment and wages. Instead, I use a fixed effects strategy to test whether…

Mathematics is a very important subject in Nigeria. Yet, for more than twenty years, mathematics education in Nigeria has been in a sorry state. Mathematics achievement has been very low and frustrating. So far, every effort made to save Nigerian education from the devastating effect of persistent poor mathematics achievement has failed. An…

This book discusses the calculus reform effort. The first essay captures the basic themes that should characterize a calculus course that is modern in its vision as well as its pedagogy and content. The next section contains essays on the vision of calculus reform: "Visions of Calculus" (Sharon Cutler Ross); "Nonalgebraic Approaches…

A smoothed version of standardization, which merges kernel smoothing with the traditional standardization differential item functioning (DIF) approach, was used to examine DIF for student-produced response (SPR) items on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) I mathematics test at both the item and testlet levels. This nonparametric technique avoids…

This document describes a database of information for those who want to learn more about current efforts to redesign assessment to match changing goals for students and instruction. The database contains descriptive information on alternative assessments in science and mathematics that cover all grade levels, levels of assessment (classroom to…

The special characteristics of the data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) that affect the validity of conventional techniques of statistical analysis are considered. In contrast to the assumptions underlying standard methods of statistical analysis, the NAEP samples are obtained via a stratified multi-stage probability…