Recent information from established testing programs was used to investigate the nature and limitations of essay and multiple-choice tests of writing ability, the statistical relationship of these types of tests, the performance of population subgroups on each, the possible need of different disciplines for different tests of composition skill,…

This study was designed to develop instruments to measure employee burnout. The Matthews Burnout Scale for Employees is a 50-item self-report measure. The Matthews Burnout Scale for Supervisors is a 50-item scale for use in evaluating employee burnout. Content-based items were tested for construct validity with a group of employees, and their…

Reviewed is the Test of Perceptual Organization, a screening device for difficulties in cognitive functioning, perceptual functioning, perceptual motor ability, and emotional adjustment, which requires that adolescents follow 10 detailed instructions on a street map. (MC)

A set of procedures for validating the Army's Skill Qualification Tests (SQT) are described. Three phases are discussed: (1) the selection of tasks, (2) the selection of specific content for hands-on performance test items, and of written self-evaluation components, and (3) the establishment of content validity of the hands-on component. The task…

The construct validity of measures of reading comprehension was discussed. A word deletion procedure was proposed consistent with a model of comprehension which emphasizes the importance of context. The procedure assures sensitivity to context by allowing only highly constrained words to be deleted and by increasing the information value of…

Cognitive style research is hindered by a variety of poorly described measures and style classifications and the use of small samples. This study described and compared three group measures of impulsivity/reflectivity, internal/external locus of control; and field dependence/independence to determine the distribution characteristics, psychometric…

This study was undertaken to determine the factor analytic structure of patient management problems (PMPs) and to determine whether such factors are stable for different groups taking the same examination and for the same group over time. PMPs attempt to simulate, in written form, the process that a physician goes through in managing a patient.…

Examines six areas of controversy surrounding testing--test validity, the role of affective objectives, criterion-referenced tests, test bias, IQ tests, and the effect of competition. (IRT)

The reliability of four measures of written expression was examined (total words written, mature words, words spelled correctly, and letters in sequence). Subjects included elementary-age students in several school districts, some of whom were learning disabled. Results revealed high coefficients for test-retest reliability, parallel-form…

This booklet is planned to help teachers, parents, students, and community members to understand concepts and research relating to testing in public schools. Three general uses--public access, accountability, and standards--relate to testing in its broadest conception. The major purposes of tests are discussed, as are some different types of…

The systematic investigation of children's development along cognitive, affective, and moral dimensions has illuminated the nature of maturation and the problems associated with this process. To study the relationship between child development and parent behavior, a method was designed for the systematic observation of parental behavior.…

An investigation of worry and emotionality as different components of test anxiety is presented through a longitudinal study of subjects in grades 6 and 9. The study aimed at describing and explaining the development of school-related anxiety, dissatisfaction and the perceived learning environment. By confirmatory factor analysis with boys and…

The theory and technology of item characteristic curve (ICC) response theory and adaptive testing were applied to judging individuals' competencies against a prespecified mastery level to determine whether each individual is a "master" or "nonmaster" of a specified content domain. Items from two conventionally administered mastery tests…

When criterion-referenced tests are used to assign examinees to states reflecting their performance level on a test, the better known methods for determining test length, which consider relationships among domain scores and errors of measurement, have their limitations. The purpose of this paper is to present a computer system named TESTLEN, which…

It is suggested that most standardized science tests do not adequately assess the majority of concepts taught as part of the very diversified middle school science curriculum. The 50-item Life Science Test constructed by Portland Public Schools, Maine, herein presented, aims to resolve this inadequacy. The 40-minute multiple choice test…