Three techniques of integrative FL testing are specifically discussed: dictation, cloze testing and noise testing. Studies show that dictation, when properly conducted, is a useful and efficient measure of overall language proficiency. Cloze testing is defined and illustrated with four examples, each with a different format. Noise or interference…

The University of Iowa has been involved with the development, implementation, and operation of computer-based test-item pools and a test construction and course management system titled IPSIM (Iowa's Item Pool System for Instructional Management), originally devised for a freshman medical course in the Pathology Department of the College of…

The purpose of this investigation was to identify factors involved in adult student achievement and behavior in short concentrated management courses and to develop and test hypotheses regarding these factors in order to provide a basis for improvement of educational practices associated with such courses. One hundred and two adults divided in…

A pilot research study searched for appropriate methods to evaluate instructional television (ITV). The specific objectives were to find ways to measure: 1) the degree to which the media presentation's objectives were being met, and 2) the appeal of the show, as judged by viewers' attention. Five intermediate grade level educable mentally retarded…

In response to the need for sound classroom evaluation procedures, educational objectives in the area of geography are defined. In addition, suggestions and examples of test construction, based on the experiences and judgments of evaluators as well as on research findings from education and geography, are offered. (CK)

The evolution of the Medial College Admission Test (MCAT), its present constitution and operation, and plans for its future are discussed. Also included is a current selected bibliography on the test. (AG)

The inventory, consisting of 100 multiple-choice items, was developed to assess four areas of a student's knowledge of art and art education: art materials and processes; the history of art; art theory and criticism; and art education theories and practices. Administration takes thirty minutes, standard IBM answer sheets are used, and either hand…

Estimates for the variance of empirically determined scoring weights are given. It is shown that test item writers should write distractors that discriminate on the criterion variable when this type of scoring is used. (Author)

A study was conducted to determine the association between county Extension agent effectiveness in conducting a dairy educational program and agent knowledge in dairying and related subjects. A secondary purpose was to determine the association of agent effectiveness scores and knowledge scores with selected independent variables classified in…

Development of the Individualized Reading Skills and Social Science Program (IRSS) is described. This curriculum begins when most children start to read. If a child cannot read the page, the curriculum provides supplementary listening passages and readiness training assessment. Each child begins at his level of progress. The general structure of…

A multiple matching test--a 24-item Hebrew vocabulary test--was examined, in which distractors from several items are pooled into one list at the test's end. Construction of such tests was feasible. Reliability, validity, and reduction of random guessing were satisfactory when applied to data from 717 applicants to Israeli universities. (SLD)

This study attempted to control differences in achievement when examining omitting tendencies of examinees. Test data of randomly sampled examinees (7 samples of 2,000 examinees each) from one national administration of the ACT Assessment were used. The number of responses omitted per examinee was examined over all examinees and over only those…

The DIMTEST statistical procedure was used in a confirmatory manner to explore the dimensionality structures of three kinds of achievement tests: multiple-choice tests, constructed-response tests, and tests combining both formats. The DIMTEST procedure is based on estimating conditional covariances of the responses to the item pairs. The analysis…

This study investigated the strategies subjects adopted to solve STEM-equivalent SAT-Mathematics (SAT-M) word problems in constructed-response (CR) and multiple-choice (MC) formats. Parallel test forms of CR and MC items were administered to subjects representing a range of mathematical abilities. Format-related differences in difficulty were more…

Based on statistics from the first few administrations of the SAT writing section, the test is performing as expected. The reliability of the writing section is very similar to that of other writing assessments. Based on preliminary validity research, the writing section is expected to add modestly to the prediction of college performance when…