Examination of 99 mathematics teachers' ratings of item difficulty indicated that the ratings were influenced by the teachers' attitudes and characteristics and their interpretation of the skills measured by the items. Teachers who rated items as relatively easy tended to favor tougher standards, grade students in relation to other students, and…

Eight randomly equivalent samples of high school seniors were each given a unique form of the ACT Assessment Mathematics Usage Test (ACTM). Signed measures of differential item performance (DIP) were obtained for each item in the eight ACTM forms. DIP estimates were analyzed and a significant item category effect was found. (Author/LMO)

This study assessed the differences in standardized test scores resulting from curricular differences in two school systems. The degree of curriculum-test match for reading and math in grades three and six was based on ratings of that match by qualified district personnel. (Author/LMO)

There are a variety of situations in which low-stakes achievement tests--which are defined as those having few or no consequences for examinee performance--are used in applied measurement. A problem inherent in such testing is that we often cannot assume that all examinees give their best effort to their test, which suggests that the test scores…

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there are any significant differences in the mathematical attainment of pupils' grade one of primary school in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (K.S.A) between those pupils who had attended kindergarten and their peers who had not, and whether this effect continued into the second and third grades in…

Inside this issue are: (1) Questions Tool; (2) NAEP Support; (3) NAEP Writing Assessment; (4) Grade 12 Results; (5) Background Questions: (6) NAEP Scale Scores and Achievement Levels; and (7) Grade 8 Math Comparisons by Ethnic Group. This publication notes several points of interest. 170,000 students at each grade and subject will be selected to…

High school graduation exams are in place in nearly half the states, and more than half the nation's high school students have to pass them to earn a diploma. After a detailed analysis of the mathematics and English language arts exams in Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio and Texas, Achieve reached three conclusions: (1) Tests are…

This paper explores the role of open-ended realistic division problem in the development of algebraic reasoning. A written test was administered to 672 students. From the results of this test students were selected for semi-structured interviews. The students were interviewed in pairs and were asked to explain to each other how they would solve…

Girls consistently out perform boys in mathematics in Hawai'i. Starting from the premise that literacy is a prerequisite for mathematics learning, a causal model was proposed to account for gender differences in mathematics on multiple choice (MC) and constructed response (CR) items in conjunction with the effects of reading and writing. Two…

In the year 2000, the Alaska High School Graduation Qualifying Examination (HSGQE) was given for the first time. The HSGQE is currently scheduled to be a graduation requirement for all students graduating as of January 2002, but early results from the use of the HSGQE in the Anchorage school district raise serious questions about the use of the…

In the context of controversy over the use of high stakes testing, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) asked for an evaluation of the performance levels and cut score of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) mathematics and reading tests. While awaiting technical documentation from the Pennsylvania Department of…

New ways are proposed to look at data from the Canadian School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP) using item response theory (IRT) modeling. The focus is on the traditional test of the SAIP 1997 mathematics study. The test is two-staged in that the first 15 items, of median difficulty, were to be completed beforehand by all students as a…

The first purpose of this study is to do a comparative analysis in terms of the item difficulty and discrimination index between Mathematics Placement Test Form A and G. The results seem to suggest that items on both forms of the placement test are equally difficult. However, items on form A appear to have more discrimination power than items on…

This manual contains a description of the procedures to be used when administering the Nevada High School Proficiency Examination in mathematics, reading, and writing. Test administrators should read and understand these instructions thoroughly before testing sessions. The parts are: (1) "General Instructions"; (2) "Instructions for…

The use of achievement levels and anchor points in press reports of the 1990 National Assessment of Educational Progress mathematics assessment was studied. In a review of 41 articles, widespread oversimplification and frequent misinterpretations were found, sometimes stemming from standards-based reporting. Implications for future standards-based…