A visual display is introduced that enables one to compare the predictive validities of all possible non-negatively weighted sums of two predictors. This two-predictor validity curve assesses the level of predictability of a criterion from composites of two predictors. Derivations are presented for the general case. For illustrative purposes, the…

The psychometric properties of an instrument designed to assess study behaviors of college and university students were examined. A convenience sample of 1052 undergraduates at a group of midwestern colleges and universities and at a four-year college in a United States Caribbean territory responded to the Study Behavior Inventory (SBI), Form D. A…

The development of the oral component of the Test in English for Educational Purposes (TEEP) for foreign students in British universities was undertaken using information from previous oral test development efforts and a survey of 645 university admissions officers concerning students' communication skill needs. The resulting test is intended to…

This paper describexs the difficulties encountered in developing a teacher merit pay system based on pretest-posttest class gain scores. The different stages of development are scrutinized, from the initial stage of achievement test selection through the specification of a criterion score for superior teacher productivity. The pretest-posttest…

In response to concerns raised by principals at both the elementary and intermediate levels regarding the amount of instructional time consumed by students taking tests which were not related to day-to-day instruction, a study was conducted of the amount of time spent preparing to give such tests and actually administering them, and the manner in…

Methods that have been employed in McGill University's (Montreal, Quebec) program of research into the nature of learning are described. The methods illustrate four phases of inquiry: conceptualization or model-building; data gathering techniques; data representation; and data analysis. For the university's learning task project, the development…

Although much investigation of adult social support networks has been done, little attention has been paid to children's social support networks. Childhood patterns of social support probably influence adult patterns. A study was conducted to describe the social networks of third through sixth grade children. It also tests the validity of a new…

To date, the majority of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) systems for achievement and aptitude testing have been based on the dichotomous item response models. However, current research with polychotomous model-based CATs is yielding promising results. This study extends previous work on nominal response model-based CAT (NR CAT) and compares…

The Matrix Analogies Test-Expanded Form (MAT-EF) and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) were administered in counterbalanced order to two randomly selected samples of students in grades 2 through 5. The MAT-EF was recently developed to measure non-verbal reasoning. The samples included 26 non-handicapped second graders in a rural…

The validity of the Communication Skills and General Knowledge portions of the NTE (National Teacher Examination) Core Battery as predictors of student performance was examined, including scores on the test of professional knowledge required for certification in teacher education programs. This predictive validity was compared to that of the…

This report addresses the problem of sample size in developing prediction equations for college freshman grade averages under the American College Testing (ACT) Assessment Program. For the ACT Assessment, the prediction weights are estimated by standard least squares procedures. Because prediction weights are estimated regression coefficients…

This study compares the results of an indirect measure of writing ability, the Florida State Student Assessment Test, Part I (SSAT-I), and the Production Writing Assessment (PWA). Both instruments were administered to 10th graders in Dade County (Florida) during the spring of 1987. The SSAT-I is an untimed test containing a section indirectly…

The document presents findings from a comprehensive review of the literature on the topic of nonbiased assessment. An introductory chapter describes the review's conceptual framework. Chapters 2 through 9 present analyses of the following major aspects of the topic (sample subtopics in parentheses): historical perspectives (ancient influences,…

The Ball Aptitude Battery (BAB) is a multiple ability test battery of specific work skills. It is designed for use in career counseling and personnel selection. The 14 BAB tests yield 16 ability scores: Clerical, Idea Fluency, Tonal Memory, Pitch Descrimination, Inductive Reasoning, Word Association, Writing Speed, Paper Folding, Vocabulary,…

To show the difficulty of eliminating test bias and to develop a methodology for distinguishing between the effects of prior knowledge and of skill development on reading comprehension, 207 eighth grade students from rural and urban areas were administered an 18-question reading comprehension test. Quantitative and qualitative effects of prior…