Tailored testing provides the same information as group-administered standardized tests, but can do so using fewer items because the items administered are selected for the ability of the individual student. Thus, tailored testing offers several advantages over traditional methods. Because individual tailored tests are not timed, anxiety is…

The concept of testing for partial knowledge is considered with the concept of tailored testing. Following the special usage of latent trait theory, the word valdity is used to mean the correlation of a test with the construct the test measures. The concept of a method factor in the test is also considered as a part of the validity. The possible…

A system of computer programs designed to control the administration of adaptive ability tests was developed and used for over 2500 hours of ability measurement. The system is capable of administering any combination of two kinds of tests to a given individual without interruption. Each test can be based on one of six different testing strategies…

Describes study of 315 secondary school students that investigated their reactions to computerized testing and assessed the practicability of this testing method in the classroom. Two versions of a standardized aptitude test battery used are described, one computerized and one printed, and a survey assessing students' reactions is discussed. (9…

This paper discusses the rationale for enhancing the current National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) design by adding a capacity for adaptive testing. Items are tailored to the achievement level of the student in adaptive testing. The report describes a 1993 Ohio field trail of two-stage assessment carried out by the National Opinion…

With the increased use of computerized adaptive testing, which allows for continuous testing, new concerns about test security have evolved, one being the assurance that items in an item pool are safeguarded from theft. In this paper, the risk of score inflation and procedures to detect test takers using item preknowledge are explored. When test…

This paper reviews the salient characteristics of the current inventory of large-scale achievement tests, analyzes two recent proposals for creating a national testing program, and describes a new approach to statewide and nationwide testing that RAND is examining. Section 2 discusses the criteria typically used for evaluating large-scale testing…

The results of a series of simulation studies designed to investigate the influence of guessing and item pool characteristics on the bias, accuracy, and information properties of the trait estimates derived from Owen's Bayesian sequential testing strategy are reported. (RC)

This article describes a method of assessing individuals with mental retardation that operates within financial and human constraints using informant-based measures that assess adaptive and maladaptive behaviors, psychiatric disorders, behavior function, and medication side-effects. Integrating the assessment results for treatment planning is…

Examines the ways in which computers can assist teachers in developing good tests. Describes the program TESTWORKS in detail and provides charts comparing this program with 11 others in the areas of price, type of questions generated, computer functions, and the usefulness of each. Discusses the use of word processors and databases. (KO)

The effects of using item response theory (IRT) ability estimates based on customized tests formed by selecting areas from a nationally standardized achievement test were examined. For some populations, in some conditions, IRT ability estimates can be equivalent to scores based on full-length tests. (SLD)

Effects of dimensionality on ability estimation of an adaptive test were examined using generated data in Bayesian computerized adaptive testing (CAT) simulations. Generally, increasing interdimensional difficulty association produced a slight decrease in test length and an increase in accuracy of ability estimation as assessed by root mean square…

Vocabulary fixed-item (FIT), computerized-adaptive (CAT), and self-adapted (SAT) tests were compared with 121 college students. CAT was more precise and efficient than SAT, which was more precise and efficient than FIT. SAT also yielded higher ability estimates for individuals with lower verbal self-concepts. (SLD)

Maximum likelihood and Bayesian procedures are presented for item selection and scoring of multidimensional adaptive tests. A demonstration with simulated response data illustrates that multidimensional adaptive testing can provide equal or higher reliabilities with fewer items than are required in one-dimensional adaptive testing. (SLD)

Thousands of older incarcerated youth (17-18 years old) pass through the juvenile justice system every year. Many are not viable candidates for traditional high school graduation because of limited earned credits and large gaps in education. The purpose of this study was to establish an effective and efficient means for determining students'…