The problem of obtaining designs that result in the most precise parameter estimates is encountered in at least two situations where item response theory (IRT) models are used. In so-called two-stage testing procedures, certain designs that match difficulty levels of the test items with the ability of the examinees may be located. Such designs…

Recent comparisons (R. Freedle and I. Kostin, 1988) of differential item difficulty (DIF) have found that items that are in some way easier differentially give advantage to white examinees. In this study, the male/female ratio was manipulated among college students taking a social sciences examination to determine the effect of the male/female…

An overview of the state of the art in psychological research is presented, with an emphasis on the attention given to effect sizes. The acceptance of small effect sizes for biomedical research is contrasted with the rejection of similar effect sizes for psychological research. The Binomial Effect Size Display is used to depict the practical…

The effectiveness of 19 methods of smoothing was investigated as those methods apply to the equipercentile method of test equating. Seven methods involved smoothing the score distribution before the tests were equated (presmoothing). Seven involved smoothing the resultant points after the equating (postsmoothing). Five methods involved combining…

Three factors are considered that contribute to the perception that the higher education research effort has done a poor job in dealing with problems confronting academe. The first factor is the magnitude of the higher education enterprise and the number of problems and issues inherent in it. The second factor is the level of support for research,…

The special characteristics of the data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) that affect the validity of conventional techniques of statistical analysis are considered. In contrast to the assumptions underlying standard methods of statistical analysis, the NAEP samples are obtained via a stratified multi-stage probability…

This paper describes seven studies (all that could be found on the subject) comparing nine respondent selection procedures with regard to their potential to reduce refusal rates and to increase representativeness of samples; particular concerns are underrepresentation of men and multiple-adult households. The paper states that (1) the seven…

This paper investigates the utility of various procedures used to locate and interview veterans as part of a longitudinal research study being conducted for the Department of Defense. The populations are comprised of below entry aptitude standards males who entered the military during the late 1960s, and potentially ineligibles who entered between…

Transformations or equating of raw test scores on two or more forms of the same test are made interchangeable by empirical procedures deriving the standard error of an equipercentile equating for four different situations. Some numerical results are checked by Monte Carlo methods. Numerical standard errors are computed for two sets of real data.…

The purpose of this paper is to show the effect of using a selection test on the average criterion score of the entering class. The correlation coefficient (times 100) is shown to be the percentage of improvement of using the selection test over what would happen on the average if the test were not used. A simple formula is developed for…

Two components of sophistication of researchers are increased knowledge of and attitudes toward educational research. The topic of this paper is the exploration of the status of these components in a sample of public school teachers. (Author)

The study sought to identify the language, perceptual, demographic, and intellectual factors capable of discriminating between groups of good, average, and poor first-grade students as determined by a standardized reading test. (Editor)

The present research again demonstrates the strong link between social class background and early leaving, but, interestingly, when stated leaving preference was controlled for, no relationship between social class background and conceptions of school was detected. (Author)

In this paper, the diverse literature bearing on the topic of homosexuality and psychological adjustment is critically reviewed and synthesized. The first chapter discusses the most crucial methodological issue in this area, the problem of sampling. The kinds of samples used to date are critically examined, and some suggestions for improved…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent and some of the characteristics of adult learning. Subjects were a random sample of 54 professional men. (Editor)