Unsupervised summative assessment has become a feature of the educational landscape in various educational jurisdictions around the world, including the state of Queensland in Australia. However, I suggest it is an invalid and unnecessary practice that can impact negatively on the affect of students, call for a reconsideration of its use, and…

The U.S. Department of Education has not yet published an official guidance document for using NAEP achievement level scores to confirm state testing results. A review of the literature, however, identified four principles that inform the valid use of NAEP scores in a confirming analysis. The principles address the appropriate NAEP statistics to…

Many districts and schools across the U. S. have begun to develop and administer assessments to complement state testing systems and provide additional information to monitor curriculum, instruction and schools. In advance of this trend, the Jackson Public Schools (JPS) district has had a district benchmark testing system in place for many years.…

This paper offers facts and figures on Utah's education status for the school year 2010-2011. This paper contains the following: (1) Core CRT Language Arts Testing, 2010; (2) Core CRT Mathematics Testing, 2010; (3) 2010 Public Education General Fund--Funding by Source and Expenditures by Function; (4) 2009-10 Public School Enrollment Demographics;…

This paper offers facts and figures on Utah's education status for the school year 2011-2012. This paper contains the following: (1) Core CRT Language Arts Testing, 2011; (2) Core CRT Mathematics Testing, 2011; (3) 2011 Public Education General Fund--Funding by Source and Expenditures by Function; (4) 2010-11 Public School Enrollment Demographics;…

This study addresses the sample error and linking bias that occur with small and unrepresentative samples in a non-equivalent groups anchor test (NEAT) design. We propose a linking method called the "synthetic function," which is a weighted average of the identity function (the trivial equating function for forms that are known to be…

This article describes the structure and rationale for an open-book approach in professional accountancy examinations. The concept of knowledge management and the recognition that some knowledge ought to be embedded in the minds of professional accountants while other knowledge ought to be readily accessible and capable of application forms the…

This study was patterned after a previous study by Skaggs and Lissitz (1992) in which inconsistency of differential item functioning (DIF) was reported across test administrations. They suggested multidimensionality of test data as one possible reason for inconsistency. Therefore, in this study, DIF indices which were developed recently with a…

This study compares logistic discriminant function analysis for differential item functioning (DIF) with a technique for the detection of DIF that is based on item response theory rather than the Mantel-Haenszel procedure. In this study, the areas between the two item characteristic curves, also called the item characteristic curve method is…

Under the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA), Title I programs are evaluated using standards-based multiple measures. In California, school systems would like to use state standards for the evaluation, but state performance standards are still under development and content standards are very new. The Sacramento City Schools (California) has…

An integer programming approach to item pool design is presented that can be used to calculate an optimal blueprint for an item pool to support an existing testing program. The results are optimal in the sense that they minimize the efforts involved in actually producing the items as revealed by current item writing patterns. Also, an adaptation…

As part of the test development process, this technical report is intended to present the technical aspects of the tryout and pilot stages of the Michigan High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) in mathematics. Part 1 introduces the purpose, the legislation, and the committees involved in the test development. Development of the mathematics assessment…

As part of the test development process, this technical report is intended to present the technical aspects of the tryout and pilot stages of the Michigan High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) in Science. Part 1 introduces the purpose, the legislation, and the committees involved in the test development. Development of the science assessment…

Large sample standard errors for the Tucker method of linear equating under the common item nonrandom groups design are derived under normality assumptions as well as under less restrictive assumptions. Standard errors of Tucker equating are estimated using the bootstrap method described by Efron. The results from different methods are compared…

The Michigan Educational Assessment Program presents an untimed, 70-question Social Studies Test (Form 35) for grade 4 students to assess social studies skills. This document contains the test booklet only. (PN)