The Language Arts Test of Cognitive Functioning (LATCF) was investigated to determine if the measure could give specific information about the thinking required for language arts tasks. The LATCF was developed by the author and consists of six anecdotes or tasks that the student must solve or complete. The anecdotes are built on six functions that…

Oral proficiency tests were constructed for French, German, and English by the Dutch National Institute for Educational Measurement to determine how well students could cope linguistically with daily living situations, after 3 years of foreign language instruction. Originally the rating scale featured six categories. Because of difficulties in…

This paper addresses the lack of language dominance assessment instruments and curriculum materials for Greek-speaking children in the U.S. These children need appropriate language screening tests, based on research and data derived from their native language group, for diagnostic and placement purposes. The development of an instrument for…

To assess structural coupling in schools, investigators must first have measures with established reliability and validity levels. Structural coupling refers to the mechanisms and norms in organizations that influence interactions among individuals. For three structural coupling measurement techniques--participant observation, interviews, and…

A comparative study of item analysis was conducted on the basis of race to determine whether alternative test construction or processing might increase the proportion of black enlisted personnel among those passing various military technical knowledge examinations. The study used data from six specialists at four grade levels and investigated item…

This paper presents the advantages of computer generated tests over traditional tests, outlines the procedures followed in developing a test of music fundamentals, and concludes with the results of a trial of the test. The test, which was developed and programmed in BASIC at Oregon State University, covers elements of notation, intervals and…

An information processing approach was applied to the development and validation of a test battery intended for personnel selection, classification, and guidance; and design of training programs. The approach specifies that test should measure specific cognitive processes and basic abilities, rather than prior experience. Tests should be short,…

A methodology for evaluating faculty work performance was discussed, using data obtained from a typical liberal arts college faculty. Separate evaluations of teaching effectiveness and of overall contributions to the college for 45 full-time faculty (85% response rate) were collected from administrators, faculty colleagues, students, and from the…

The Standard English Repetition Test (SERT) is an instrument designed to measure the Standard English (SE) performance of young Hawaii Creole English (HCE)-speaking children. HCE is colloquially referred to as "pidgin English." Details of the test's construction are given; test-retest and alternate form reliability and validity studies…

This study was conducted for four reasons: (1) to identify research studies in the area of sex role behavior conducted between l970 and l977 in the fields of psychology, anthropology, sociology, and education; (2) to survey operational definitions of the term "sex role"; (3) to examine the techniques and instruments used to gather sex…

The authors argue that personnel who select standardized achievement tests have been led to believe that the major achievement test batteries differ very little in terms of the topics they test; but that the content covered by these major tests is different, and that such differences have consequences for instructional content. To test this…

The effects of different choice formats on the reliability of teacher-made tests were examined for high and low achievers. The first study examined the effect of 3 and 5 choice items on the reliability of dichotomously scored teacher-made tests. The second study examined the effect of 3 and 4 choice items on the reliability of similarly designed…

Techniques for assessing test validity and reliability are applied to an analysis of an unpublished test, in order to familiarize test users in local bilingual programs with the technical evidence that should be available for instruments of potential use in placing limited English-speaking students. The instrument studied, the Language Assignment…

Five questionnaire forms containing 61 items specifying potential inservice topics for public school teachers were sent to a stratified random sample of Indiana public school administrators and curriculum supervisors. The five forms differed in that, for two forms, the items were ungrouped and appeared in different orders; and, for three forms,…

This paper grew out of a presentation made as part of a panel discussion on the Bakke case, and is second in a series of Institute for the Study of Educational Policy documents on important educational issues and problems. Many of the factors that impact test performance or scores are examined. The primary thesis of the paper is that it is…