In this paper, I will discuss two related activities that I have developed for use in a college geometry course directed at pre-service secondary and elementary school teachers. These activities ask students to develop geometry on pool tables and on cones. The two activities are closely related, and both ask students to relate computer models with…

Two previous meta-analyses of the test-coaching literature have yielded conclusions that differ with respect to aptitude test scores. This study attempts to resolve differences in the conclusions of these two analyses by J. A. Kulik, R. L. Bangert-Drowns, and C. L. C. Kulik (1984) and K. Pearlman (1984) by using the methods of F. L. Schmidt and J.…

As part of the military recruiting effort, the Department of Defense sponsors surveys of the national youth population to help design recruiting and advertising strategies. This report develops and applies a method of using the information contained in national youth surveys to estimate the probability that respondents taking the Armed Forces…

Investments in schooling are often regarded as essential for economic development, implying that such investments have high rates of return in developing countries. This paper examines the accuracy and usefulness of estimates of rates of return to formal schooling based on the standard human capital model of G. Becker and J. Mincer. Focus is on…

This study compares the fit of the 3-parameter model to the Ability Removing Random Guessing (ARRG) model on data from a wide range of tests of cognitive ability in three representative samples. When the guessing parameters under the 3-parameter model are estimated individually for each item, the 3-parameter model yields the better fit to…

The purpose of this research was to develop and test a method of identifying groups of students participating in a mandated statewide norm-referenced testing program who have undergone highly specific training in preparation for, or coaching during, test administration. The implementation of the analysis procedure was intended not only to identify…

This report contains the Proceedings of the 1982 Item Response Theory and Computerized Adaptive Testing Conference. The papers and their discussions are organized into eight sessions: (1) "Developments in Latent Trait Theory," with papers by Fumiko Samejima and Michael V. Levine; (2) "Parameter Estimation," with papers by…

In order to take advantage of advances in the field of mental measurement, the Armed Forces and the Department of Defense have supported the development of a computerized adaptive version of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) for use in military personnel selection and classification. This report describes the development and…

The paper identifies and addresses four methodological weaknesses common to most previous studies that have used LISREL confirmatory factor analysis to test for the factorial validity and invariance of a single measuring instrument. Specifically, the paper demonstrates the steps involved in: (1) conducting sensitivity analyses to determine a…

The benefits of campus-business cooperation to undergraduate education is considered. Descriptions of programs at 11 colleges are provided, along with an essay by Ernest A. Lynton on the role of liberal arts in career preparation and employee education. In addition to briefly describing liberal arts courses focusing on business, the following…

In this paper, logistic response models of the effects of parental socioeconomic characteristics and family structure on the probability of making selected school transitions for white American males are estimated by maximum likelihood. Transition levels examined include: (l) completion of elementary school; (2) attendance at high school; (3)…

The statistical properties of two methods of estimating gain scores for groups in quasi-experiments are compared: (1) gains in scores standardized separately for each group; and (2) analysis of covariance with estimated true pretest scores. The fan spread hypothesis is assumed for groups but not necessarily assumed for members of the groups.…

The short-term impacts of public community colleges upon the business and government sectors of Maryland's economy were measured through a series of linear cash-flow formulas. In 1976-77, total direct and indirect expenditures attributable to the 17 colleges in areas of salaries, purchase of materials, and capital building improvements were almost…

The equivalency of achievement results obtained under Title I evaluation models A1 and C1 was examined. Data were reading comprehension and arithmetic scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, administered to fourth, sixth, and eighth grade students in St. Louis, Missouri. The St. Louis Public Schools had traditionally used Model A1, a…

An experiment was performed with computer-generated data to investigate some of the operational characteristics of tailored testing as they are related to various provisions of the computer program and item pool. With respect to the computer program, two characteristics were varied: the size of the step of increase or decrease in item difficulty…