M. J. Kolen, B. A. Hanson, and R. L. Brennan (1992) presented a procedure for assessing the conditional standard error of measurement (CSEM) of scale scores using a strong true-score model. They also investigated the ways of using nonlinear transformation from number-correct raw score to scale score to equalize the conditional standard error along…

The 1991 Survey of Recent College Graduates (RCG:91) is the sixth study in a series begun in 1976. The series provides data on the occupational and educational outcomes of recent bachelor's and master's graduates one year after graduation. The survey was conducted by Westat, Inc. in a two-stage sample involving 400 institutions of higher education…

Errors in item parameter estimates have a negative impact on the accuracy of item and test information functions. The estimation errors may be random, but because items with higher levels of discriminating power are more likely to be selected for a test, and these items are most apt to contain positive errors, the result is that item information…

R. J. Owen (1975) proposed an approximate empirical Bayes procedure for item selection in adaptive testing. The procedure replaces the true posterior by a normal approximation with closed-form expressions for its first two moments. This approximation was necessary to minimize the computational complexity involved in a fully Bayesian approach, but…

An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) is done to correct for chance differences that occur when subjects are assigned randomly to treatment groups. When properly used, this correction results in adjustment of the group means for pre-existing differences caused by sampling error and reduction of the size of the error variance of the analysis. The…

In educational research, nonessential factors are commonly ignored and when accounted for, they are often treated statistically as fixed effects. Yet many researchers in these situations generalize their findings beyond the specific levels selected; however, the analyses may require treating the factor as a random effect. Such inappropriate…

The Bootstrap method, a computer-intensive statistical method of estimation, is illustrated using a simple and efficient Statistical Analysis System (SAS) routine. The utility of the method for generating unknown parameters, including standard errors for simple statistics, regression coefficients, discriminant function coefficients, and factor…

In research, data sets often occur in which the variance of the distribution of the dependent variable at given levels of the predictors is a function of the values of the predictors. In this situation, the use of weighted least-squares (WLS) or techniques is required. Weights suitable for use in a WLS regression analysis must be estimated. A…

The term "ipsative" refers to measurement based on intra-individual comparisons. The research literature in the social sciences contains many cautions about using ipsative data in multivariate analysis. The purpose of this paper is to identify the problems associated with the multivariate and regression analyses of ipsative data and to…

This paper provides empirical data on two approaches to statistically equate scores derived from the direct assessment of writing. These methods are linear equating and equating based on the general polychotomous form of the Rasch model. Data from the Maryland Functional Writing Test are used to equate scores obtained from two prompts given in…

The sources of variability in the Angoff standard-setting procedure, when applied to the Alabama High School Graduation Examination (AHSGE), were examined. The sources of variability examined are judges, rounds (replications), competencies (items), and interactions among these three sources. After training, the judges were given a statement of a…

Scores of two groups of White and Hispanic children at 11 age levels from 2.5 years to 12.5 years were assessed. The scores were drawn from the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC), an individually administered assessment battery designed to measure intelligence and achievement and intended for minority group assessment. Reliability…

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the analysis of data collected by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In simplest terms, the analysis can be characterized as establishing baseline estimates of the percentages of young Americans possessing certain skills, knowledge, understandings, and attitudes and…

Drawing from work on the meta-analysis of over 500 validation studies of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) by the U.S. Employment Service, the paper presents a methodological message and a substantive message. Gene Glass's methods, as used by Edwin Ghiselli in personnel selection, ignore study artifacts (sampling error, error of…

Using data from a National Child Development Study (NCDS) in Great Britain, the applications of instrumental variable methods and structural equation models to estimating instrumental variables are presented. A subset of the longitudinal educational and home background data on children born in England, Wales and Scotland in a March week of 1958 is…