Reports the efforts of the California Assessment Program (CAP) to interject critical thinking items into its new statewide social studies tests. Provides definitions of the critical thinking skills tested by the 8th grade social studies CAP test, and lists 100 critical thinking skills vocabulary words. (JDH)

There is a unity underlying the diversity of models for the analysis of multivariate data. Essentially, they constitute a family of models, most generally nonlinear, for structural/functional relations between variables drawn from a behavior domain. (Author)

Qualitative evidence for the operation of partial knowledge is given by two findings. First, performance when second and subsequent choices are made is above the chance level. Second, it is positively related to first choice performance. A number of theories incorporating partial knowledge are compared quantitatively. (Author/LMO)

An equating design in which two groups of examinees from slightly different populations are administered a different test form with a subset of common items is widely used. This paper presents standard errors and a simulation that verifies the equation for large samples for an equipercentile equating procedure for this design. (Author/BS)

Describes a study which submitted data from a multiple-choice English as a second language reading comprehension test to classical test theory item analysis and latent trait measurement. The purpose was to identify weak items and to compare the number of weak items indicated by the two different approaches. (SED)

The evidence for the psychometric adequacy of behavioral interviews in terms of traditional psychometric theory and generalizability theory are reviewed. The review resulted in the conclusion that behavioral interviews have some evidence for interrater reliability, content validity, and criterion-related validity. Additional research in several…

Four methods are outlined for estimating or approximating from a single test administration the standard error of measurement of number-right test score at specified ability levels or cutting scores. The methods are illustrated and compared on one set of real test data. (Author)

Multiple-choice tests such as the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) provide useful instruments to probe the distribution of student difficulties on a large scale. However, traditional analysis often relies solely on scores (number of students giving the correct answer). This ignores what can be significant and important information: the distribution…

In this paper we report some results of the analysis of released items of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). This analysis is part of a research project in process related to Mexican high school curricula from an international perspective and, the mathematics students' performance in this school level. The results…

Using two specially constructed tests for synonyms and general knowledge, researchers examined the possibility of deciding which test items will produce expected sex-differentiated results by looking at test-item contents. They found stable sex differences but very limited possibilities of identifying the test items leading to those differences.…

This paper focuses on mixtures of two binomials with one known success parameter. It is shown how moment estimators can be obtained for the remaining unknown parameters of such mixtures, and results are presented from a Monte Carlo study carried out to explore the statistical properties of these estimators. (PN)

Employed two strategies used to test prerequisite relationships among intellectual skills to examine the sequence of three types of subtraction tasks. A psychometric validation strategy yielded results similar to instructional validation strategy. Supports the use of the more efficient psychometric approach for validating large numbers of learning…

A psychometrician and acquaintance of Carl C. Brigham, the "father of the Scholastic Aptitude Test," comments on the man's presonality traits and the culture that shaped his thinking. Areas of testing research that should be pursued are suggested. (MSE)

A continuum of item-writing methods is proposed ranging from informal-subjective methods to algorithmic-objective methods. Examples of techniques include objective-based item writing, amplified objectives, item forms, facet design, domain-referenced concept testing, and computerized techniques. (Author/CP)

Teachers need valid information to judge the types of programs, instruction, and colleges best suited to students. Teachers appear to support the use of standardized tests to provides some of that information. Abolishing such tests may lead to dependence on more subjective measures, resulting in inequities in placement and selection. (FG)