Discusses the developmental and testing of an instrument to evaluate secondary school reading programs. Presents the instrument. (FL)

The maximum incorporation of computer coding into an instrument is recommended to reduce errors in coding information from questionnaires. Specific suggestions for guiding the precoding process for response options, numeric identifiers, and assignment of card columns are proposed for mainframe computer data entry. (BS)

Chemical engineering students were required to create an open-book final examination and to include questions reflecting analytical, synthetic (creative), and evaluative skills. Rationale for the assignment, sample student responses, and how the technique might be profitably adapted to any course on any subject are discussed. (JN)

Numerous short forms of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory have been proposed in the last 15 years. In each case, the initial enthusiasm has been replaced by the questions about the clinical utility of the abbreviated version. Argues that the statistical properties of the test and reduced reliability due to shortening the scales…

Examined whether employee involvement (N=65) in the development of behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) used in the feedback interview affected ratees' perceptions of the interview. Results showed that participation in BARS construction led to favorable perceptions regarding the performance appraisal interview process as well as positive…

The paper reports the development and piloting of the Learning Environment Scale (LES), an instrument designed to measure the social environment of the classroom as perceived by hearing impaired students. The instrument contains categories relating to the communication environment of the classroom and to the students' feelings about themselves in…

Data from the standardized sample were used to test alternate structures for the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, based on the hypothesis that the test measures verbal memory skills and verbal and nonverbal reasoning. Results suggest that the models fit the data fairly well, supporting the alternate structure's validity. (Author/CL)

The capacity of examinees to develop cue-using strategies was examined, and the results suggest that students profit from knowledge of a particular test constructor's idiosyncrasies. The findings also lend weight to the argument that performance on test wiseness items is cue-specific. (Author/BW)

With the aid of funds received through a Title III ESEA, Section 306 grant, the San Juan Board of Cooperative Services (Colorado) has developed a system to aid teachers in evaluating their students. (Author)

Matrix sampling of test items, the division of a set of items into different versions of a test form, is used by several large-scale testing programs. This Digest discusses nine categories of costs associated with matrix sampling. These categories are: (1) development costs; (2) materials costs; (3) administration costs; (4) educational costs; (5)…

A new scale for self-directed learning oriented toward learners in academic settings and in other environments such as the workplace was developed. Participants were employees of a southeastern state. To obtain reliability estimates, items were developed that asked questions about the employee's behavior in the work environment. Validity was…

This paper discusses item banks calibrated to indicate levels of difficulty to assist in test development. The item bank topics discussed are: (1) purpose; (2) development issues; (3) advantages and disadvantages; and (4) practical issues. The most common issues are content validity, reliability, concerns with software purchase and programming,…

The emergence of enhanced capabilities in computer technology coupled with the growing body of knowledge regarding item response theory has resulted in the expansion of computerized adaptive test (CAT) utilization in a variety of venues. Newcomers to the field need a more thorough understanding of item response theory (IRT) principles, their…

This paper describes the approach of the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) to ensuring that all students have basic competence in computer use. It describes the development and implementation of the UTA computer proficiency examination. UTA students currently have two options. They may take the computer proficiency course designated in their…

In this study, the effect of appended pretesting was evaluated with regard to item statistics and examinee scores for groups of items that were pretested as part of a large-scale operational testing program. In appended pretesting, items are administered in a separately timed section at the end of an operational test battery. Two evaluations were…