The third in a series of studies to assess the reading achievement of Indiana students, a study compared the reading achievement of sixth and tenth graders in 1944-45, 1976, and 1986. The same edition of the Iowa Silent Reading Test (ISRT) was administered to sixth- and tenth-graders in 1944-45, 1976, and 1986. The 1944-45 sample consisted of 25%…

The purpose of this paper is to further the cause of clarifying construct interpretations of tests, by proposing that non-metric multidimensional scaling may be more useful than factor analysis or other latent structure models for investigating the internal structure of tests. It also suggests that typical problems associated with scaling…

An investigation of the effect on the difficulty value of an item due to position placement within a test was made. Using a 60-item operational test comprised of 5 subtests, 60 items were placed as experimental items on a number of spiralled test forms in three different positions (first, middle, last) within the subtest composed of like items.…

Despite a significant increase in test usage, numerous issues surrounding reading assessment remain unresolved. Construct validity--whether the test actually measures aspects of the behavior under consideration--is of particular importance if one is to rely on test scores to direct instruction, predict performance, or determine accountability. A…

To determine whether mastery of one reading comprehension task is a prerequisite to mastery of two or more reading comprehension tasks, a study examined the prerequisite relations existing in the item responses elicited from a sample of sixth grade students who took the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, Form G, Level 12 reading comprehension test. Test…

This 30-item annotated bibliography of documents concerning reading assessment in elementary education from the ERIC database, dating from 1983 to 1988, includes documents which give an overview of recent developments in reading assessment, presents standardized tests and alternative measures (including Informal Reading Inventories), and deals…

To her students at the University of Arizona, Ruth Strang emphasized the theme "look beyond." By that she meant to look beyond the mediocrity and routine that stiffles lives and be a creative reading teacher and diagnostician. Reading teachers, she maintained, should understand that reading comprehension requires the ability to read the…

An empirical investigation into the construct validity of tests of speaking and reading English as a second language (ESL) was performed using the multitrait-multimethod convergent-divergent design of Campbell and Fiske. Interview, translation, and self-rating tests of the two hypothesized traits, "speaking ability" and "reading ability," were…

This paper addresses practical Army problems in reading assessment from a theory base reflecting the most recent research on reading comprehension. Military and occupational research shows that reading proficiency is related to job performance. Reading assessment is a key issue in the Army due to changes in the reading ability levels of the Army…

Once every three years, school districts receiving Chapter 1 funds are required to conduct a study of the sustained effects of their Chapter 1 programs. To meet this requirement, the Columbus Public Schools employed a fall-spring-fall test design to determine the degree to which pupils who participated in the Compensatory Language Experiences and…

Informal inventories offer an alternative to discredited standardized tests of reading achievement. (JH)

An informal learning modality inventory can give the teacher valuable information for purposes of diagnosis and planning. (JH)

The benefits accruing from a carefully administered Informal Reading Inventory make administering them well worth the time. (JH)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate seven reading comprehension tests according to the construct of comprehension which they claimed to measure. The 367 items from these tests were classified by two judges according to the following four levels indicated on a reading comprehension taxonomy: recognition and recall, inference, evaluation, and…

By comparing a retarded reader's performance on paired associate and serial learning, results are expected to show the differences in types of learning problems. (Author/DEP)