This study explored the relationship between traditional item difficulty and cognitive complexity as measured by response time. Rural students (n=43) responded to computer-based tests of the Individualized Study by Technology General Mathematics Course developed by Alaska's Department of Education. Results indicated that mean response times were…

A two-stage procedure for estimating item bias was examined with six indices of item bias and the Mantel-Haenszel statistic. Results suggest that the two-stage procedure is not very useful when the number of biased items is small and bias magnitude is weak. (SLD)

Effects of the following variables on performance of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) procedures for the partial credit model (PCM) were studied: (1) stopping rule for terminating CAT; (2) item pool size; and (3) distribution of item difficulties. Implications of findings for CAT systems based on the PCM are discussed. (SLD)

Primary and second-order principal components analyses were performed on the Quality of School Life Scale (QSL), a measure of elementary school climate, for responses of 141 fourth through sixth graders. Findings suggest three general factors, but item composition of subscales differs somewhat from that proposed by the QSL's developers. (SLD)

Native (n=46) and nonnative (n=27) speakers of English enrolled in university English courses reacted to 15 prompts from essay tests. Nonnative speakers chose prompts on topics of interest to them; with topics of equal interest, they chose the prompts offering the greatest scope for doing a lot of writing. (six references) (JR)

It is contended that this book should appeal especially to those who write and administer tests designed to measure psychological or educational constructs, as well as to the classroom teacher. It would be of only moderate value to those writing questions for program evaluation or questionnaires. (SLD)

Analysis of educational psychology textbooks identified textbook authors' guidelines for teachers to follow when writing multiple-choice test items. Selected guidelines were used to evaluate multiple-choice items (N=1,080) from 18 college instructor guides to educational psychology texts. Results indicated that approximately 60 percent of the…

Proposes to integrate critical thinking and problem-solving into two existing international tests of business German (Prufung Wirtschaftsdeutsch International and Zertifikat Deutsch fur den Beruf), and to contextualize the tests' tasks in a more authentic business setting without compromising their content. Parallels are drawn with the American…

One way of determining construct validity of vocabulary items in language tests is to interview subjects directly after taking the items to ascertain what is known about the target words in question. This approach was combined within the framework of lexical competency in a study of the behavior of lexical items on the Test of English as a Foreign…

Presents details on how students perform on particular types of mathematics questions from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Data are from three special studies conducted as part of the NAEP: (1) estimation skills; (2) problem-solving abilities (mathematics in context); and (3) students taking advanced courses in mathematics.…

The International English Language Testing System is described, including the test's underlying principles, design, administration, scoring, reliability, and interpretation. Some criticisms of the program are briefly discussed. (MSE)

The effect of different item formats (multiple choice and open) on gender differences in test performance was studied for the Swedish Diagrams, Tables, and Maps (DTM) test with 90 secondary school students. The change to open format resulted in no reduction in gender differences on the DTM. (SLD)

Two ways of using videotape recording to test law students are discussed: for development of reflective practice through feedback and self-observation, and to provide a more realistic final exam problem. The author's techniques are described, focusing on goals/objectives, methodology, and grading. It is argued that video, used most often for…

Two cause indicator models were formulated to link items of the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment--Short Form to the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test--Revised. These models were tested with data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (506 and 345 children), and a final model was developed. (SLD)

An expanded version of the method of content evaluation proposed by S. G. Sireci and K. F. Giesinger (1992) was evaluated with respect to a national licensure examination and a nationally standardized social studies achievement test. Two groups of 15 subject-matter experts rated the similarity and content relevance of the items. (SLD)