The purpose of this paper is to simultaneously optimize decision rules for combinations of elementary decisions. As a result of this approach, rules are found that make more efficient use of the data than does optimizing those decisions separately. The framework for the approach is derived from empirical Bayesian theory. To illustrate the…

The central aspect of Connecticut's agenda for educational equity and excellence is the implementation of statewide mastery testing in mathematics and language arts. The program, designed for grades four, six, and eight, assesses the skill levels of students by measuring their performance on learning objectives they should have mastered in lower…

Guidelines and course materials for teaching an inservice course for regular and special education teachers are presented which are designed to accompany the text entitled "Minority Issues in the Education of Handicapped Children." The instructor's manual contains information concerning the course materials, instructor options and requirements,…

Ways in which the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) can be used to perform some Rasch analyses are described in detail. It is shown how SPSS and a set of item calibrations can be used to estimate person abilities, standard errors of measurement, test characteristic curve, test information curve, classification consistency on a…

Three statistical problems related to criterion-referenced testing are investigated: estimation of the likelihood of a false-positive or false-negative decision with a mastery test, estimation of true scores in the Compound Binomial Error Model, and comparison of the examinees to a control. Two methods for estimating the likelihood of…

Three treatment groups were used to examine the effects on general reading comprehension of teaching and testing four subskills related to the identification of the main idea in prose materials. Subjects were 157 tenth-grade students. Besides a control group, two experimental approaches were used, consisting of subjects who were both taught four…

This transcript of a National Public Radio Broadcast records the second of a two part program devoted to the presentation and discussion of various issues relating to minimum competence in schools. Recorded are the views of educators, school administrators, writers, critics and interested individuals on the following topics: competency tests as…

This paper describes two procedures for making binary classification decisions using tailored testing: the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) and a Bayesian decision procedure. The first procedure described, the SPRT, was developed by Wald for quality control work. It has not been widely applied for testing applications because the…

The issues of treatment assignment is ordinarily dealt with within the framework of testing aptitude treatment interaction (ATI) hypothesis. ATI research mostly uses linear regression techniques, and an ATI exists when the aptitude treatment (AT) regression lines cross each other within the relevant interval of the aptitude variable. Consistent…

A multiparameter, programmable model was developed to examine the interactive influence of certain parameters on the probability of deciding that an examinee had attained a specified degree of mastery. It was applied within the simulated context of performance testing of military trainees. These parameters included: (1) the number of assumed…

Three different computational procedures for equating two forms of a test were applied to a pair of mathematics tests to compare the results of the three procedures. The tests that were being equated were two forms of the SRA Mastery Mathematics Tests. The common, linking test used for equating was the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, Form S,…

A computer simulation of Bayes' Theorem was conducted in order to determine the probability that an examinee was a master conditional upon his test score. The inputs were: number of mastery states assumed, test length, prior expectation of masters in the examinee population, and conditional probability of a master getting a randomly selected test…

These units of study provide the basis for a semester long independent course of study in United States history for high school students. The major theme of the 16 units is technological and social change and how people throughout history have reacted to it. Students read, take a mastery test, and review results with the instructor. Extra credit…

A detailed analysis of standard setting and criteria for test scores and educational decisions is presented. The author contends that present procedures are in need of re-examination. (JKS)

Problems which arise when criterion referenced test results are used to evaluate the effects of an elementary school reading program are discussed. Topics include: alternative methods of analyzing test results, sensitivity of the instrument to program outcomes, and comparison of criterion referenced and norm referenced achievement test data.…