Researchers surveyed Kentucky high school seniors to collect data on and compare the results of the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS) open-response reading results and ACT reading multiple-choice format. Results found a great deal of disagreement between the KIRIS and ACT reading results. (SM)

The validity of several criticisms of objective tests is addressed, and the viability of some alternatives to objective testing is discussed. Evidence against multiple-choice tests is not as strong as has been claimed. Authentic assessments may not always be better, and research about new forms of assessment is necessary. (SLD)

It is argued that the modification of the Nedelsky procedure proposed by L. J. Gross is a valid approach to setting standards when clinical reasoning is measured using multiple-choice questions. An example from the Medical Council of Canada's Qualifying Examination for approximately 2,400 examinees demonstrates the procedure's value. (SLD)

Explores the effects of speech modification, prior knowledge, and listening proficiency on listening comprehension. Results show significant interactions between speech modification and listening proficiency and between prior knowledge and test type. The authors discuss the implications for teaching and testing of listening comprehension,…

Alternatives to multiple-choice tests for teacher licensing examinations are described, and their advantages are cited. Concerns are expressed in the areas of cost and practicality, reliability, corruptibility, and validity. A suggestion for reducing costs using multiple-choice responses calibrated to constructed-response tasks is proposed. (SLD)

A nonparametric multicategorical model for multiple-choice data is proposed as an extension of the binary spline model of J. O. Ramsay and M. Abrahamowicz (1989). Results of two Monte Carlo studies illustrate the model, which approximates probability functions by rational splines. (SLD)

A method for analyzing test-item responses is proposed to examine differential item functioning (DIF) in multiple-choice items within the latent class framework. Different models for detection of DIF are formulated, defining the subgroup as a latent variable. An efficient estimation method is described and illustrated. (SLD)

The Transition Competence Battery for Deaf Adolescents and Young Adults consists of six subtests related to employment and independent living, and uses booklets and videotapes/videodisks with questions presented in sign language. Comparison of alternative formats indicated that group administration of the multiple-choice format produced acceptable…

Gender differences in omitting items and guessing on multiple-choice tests were studied in Israel for 302 male and 302 female ninth graders and 150 male and 150 female university applicants. Females tended to omit more items and guess less often than did males. Implications for scoring are discussed. (SLD)

A study analyzed the accuracy of Spanish second-language production across three tasks (narrative, multiple-choice cloze test, fill-in cloze test) on three discourse-determined grammatical items (subject pronouns, articles, past tense aspect) among 74 intermediate and advanced college-level learners. Results revealed different rates of accuracy…

Compared the English and French reading comprehension and inferencing skills of U.S. college students enrolled in an introductory French literature course. Participants each read two different texts--one in English and the other in French--by the same 18th century author, recalled them in writing, and did a multiple choice task on selected…

Distance education is a significant topic of discussion within institutions at all levels of education. It is not only significant in terms of finances and student enrollment but also in terms of meaningful learning. The purpose of this study was to determine the relative effectiveness of three distance-education strategies for enhancing the…

Teaching and assessment of student learning are not unrelated activities. Rather, assessment is an integral part of the learning process. Teaching is how instructors help students to discover knowledge and new ideas and ways of organizing and perceiving what they have learned. Assessment of learning incorporates the broad array of techniques that…

This article addresses the capacity of high stakes tests to measure the most significant kinds of learning. It begins by examining a set of philosophical arguments pertaining to construct validity and alleged conceptual obstacles to attributing specific knowledge and skills to learners. The arguments invoke philosophical doctrines of holism and…

This study, conducted through Arkansas State University and the University of Central Arkansas, examined parents' perceptions in the initial year of a three-year period (2004-2007) to determine whether public schools have made progress in their implementation of the parental involvement programs mandated by Arkansas Act 603 of 2003 (known as the…