This paper overviews technical developments in data analysis procedures for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading data during 1984. The highlight of the reshaping of the NAEP data has been the scaling using item response theory (IRT). AT this point in the data analysis, an IRT-based scale appears appropriate for reading…

A study was conducted at a Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to determine the relationship between students' level of basic skills at entry and their pass/fail performance on the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST). Specifically, the study focused on students' Comparative Guidance and Placement Test (CGP) scores in reading, writing, and…

The skills and concepts described in this kindergarten through grade eight reading program guide emphasize the following: (1) teachers' expectations for and attitudes toward students affect student performance, (2) students' self-concepts and expectations are related to their achievement, (3) children learn in different ways and at different…

In February 1988, a survey was conducted to examine placement procedures and developmental reading programs at two- and four-year colleges in New York State. Surveys were mailed to 30 two-year colleges and 28 four-year colleges, requesting information on the placement tests and cut-off scores used; types of additional diagnostic testing; course…

In spring 1988, a study was conducted at Cuyahoga Community College's Western Campus (Ohio) to measure the reading comprehension level of a sample of 1988 students and to compare their reading test scores with the scores of students who had taken the same test in 1979 and 1980; to determine if there were a correlation between the number of items a…

Designed for use by elementary school principals, this guide contains suggestions for (1) assessing the effectiveness of the school reading program, (2) determining the instructional needs of teachers and the reading skill needs of students, and (3) implementing specific strategies to effectively accomplish desired reading program improvements.…

In 1981, as part of its implementation of Roueche's model for developmental education, Pima Community College (PCC) initiated its first collegewide assessment and placement program. Faculty in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics met to establish scores on which recommendations for student course placement would be based. A study was…

The various commercially available materials used to teach students test-taking skills offer contradictory advice on the issue of whether reading passages on standardized tests should be read before or after the corresponding test items. This study examined the effects on reading comprehension scores of training 606 urban fourth graders to use one…

A three-part correlational study examined the explanatory power of the Lexile theory of reading comprehension, which was based on the semantic and syntactic components of prose. Correlations were performed between the item difficulties of nine nationally normed reading comprehension tests and computer generated difficulties which were reported in…

Though item bias statistics are widely recommended for use in test development and analysis, problems arise in their interpretation. This research evaluates logistic test models and computer simulation methods for providing a frame of reference for interpreting item bias statistics. Specifically, the intent was to produce simulated sampling…

In both 1960 and 1980, the same test of spatial-visual ability was given to national probability samples of high school seniors in the United States. The students in 1960 were participants in Project TALENT and in 1980 were participants in "High School and Beyond." In addition, a reading comprehension test was given to the 1960 students…

Following a review of empirical research on teacher feedback to students' wrong responses, this paper describes a paradigm for use with direct instruction materials, applying the feedback model to comprehension tasks from traditional reading and science textbooks. The next section details a classification system for wrong responses grouped into…

As part of a one-year trial project, in fall 1981, Oakton College students who scored below 35 on the Educational Testing Service Test of Written Expression were not permitted to enroll in C101 (an introductory communications course) until they had successfully completed a developmental communications course or had retaken and passed the exam. To…

Considerable research has been conducted on the effect of anxiety on academic achievement. The most consistent finding is that high anxiety is associated with low performance, particularly at the elementary school level. To explain this situation, some researchers have hypothesized that anxiety debilitates students' attention span or time-on-task…

The Reading Test for New York State Elementary Schools is designed to determine the most difficult prose text a student can read with comprehension. Test uses described include evaluating the student's current level of achievement; determining reading difficulty levels for instruction; measuring growth of comprehension; determining statewide…