Many testing programs use automated scoring to grade essays. One issue in automated essay scoring that has not been examined adequately is population invariance and its causes. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of sampling in model calibration on population invariance of automated scores. This study analyzed scores…

The construct map is a particularly good way to approach instrument development, and this author states that he was delighted to read Adam Wyse's thoughts about how to use construct maps for standard setting. For a number of popular standard-setting methods, Wyse shows how typical feedback to panelists fits within a construct map framework.…

The purpose of this paper was to update the psychometrics of the "Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Youngsters" ("MESSY") with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), specifically with respect to internal consistency, split-half reliability, and inter-rater reliability. In Study 1, 114 children with ASD (Autistic Disorder, Asperger's…

The Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities (ABLA) is a tool that is used to assess the learning ability of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and children with autism. The ABLA was recently revised and is now referred to as the ABLA-Revised (ABLA-R). A self-instructional manual was prepared to teach individuals how to administer the…

This study examined the effects of incremental rehearsal (IR) on letter sound expression for one kindergarten and one first grade English learner who were below district benchmark for letter sound fluency. A single-subject multiple-baseline design across sets of unknown letter sounds was used to evaluate the effect of IR on letter-sound expression…

School mathematics examination papers are typically dominated by short, structured items that fail to assess sustained reasoning or problem solving. A contributory factor to this situation is the need for student work to be marked reliably by a large number of markers of varied experience and competence. We report a study that tested an…

Children living in rural and underserved areas experience decreased access to health care services and are often diagnosed with autism at a later age compared to those living in urban or suburban areas. This study examines the utility and validity of an ASD assessment protocol conducted via video conferencing (VC). Participants (n = 17) included…

We examined the effects of several variations in response rate on the calculation of total, interval, exact-agreement, and proportional reliability indices. Trained observers recorded computer-generated data that appeared on a computer screen. In Study 1, target responses occurred at low, moderate, and high rates during separate sessions so that…

Although research suggests peer support arrangements can be an effective practice for improving social outcomes for students with severe disabilities, additional efforts are needed to refine training and implementation approaches to increase the replicability and sustainability of this intervention. We tested a promising teacher-delivered training…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of performance feedback on preservice teachers' use of recommended practices within inclusive early childhood classrooms. A multiple baseline design across behaviors was used to examine the relation between performance feedback delivered via email and practicum students' use of target-recommended…

The goal of this study was to gather comprehensive evidence about the alignment of the Smarter Balanced summative assessments to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Alignment of the Smarter Balanced summative assessments to the CCSS is a critical piece of evidence regarding the validity of inferences students, teachers and policy makers can…

Interteaching has shown to be an effective alternative to traditional lecture in a number of studies, but thorough analyses of its components, including frequent exams, is limited. Research suggests that increasing the frequency of exams may improve student learning. This study assessed the effectiveness of interteaching's frequent exams component…

Problem Statement: The most significant disadvantage of open-ended items that allow the valid measurement of upper level cognitive behaviours, such as synthesis and evaluation, is scoring. The difficulty associated with objectively scoring the answers to the items contributes to the reduction of the reliability of the scores. Moreover, other…

Problem Statement: Performance assessments have emerged as an alternative method to measure what a student knows and can do. One of the shortcomings of performance assessments is the subjectivity and inconsistency of raters in scoring. A common criticism of performance assessments is the subjective nature of scoring procedures. The effectiveness…

This study examined ratings of fourth graders' oral reading expression. Randomly assigned participants (n = 36) practiced repeated readings using narrative or informational passages for 7 weeks. After this period raters used the "Multidimensional Fluency Scale" (MFS) on two separate occasions to rate students' expressive…