Techniques for maximizing discrimination between groups in norm referenced measurement to reflect sensitivity to group differences inherent in the evaluation of multilevel educational systems are discussed. Data from the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study (BTES) were used to examine relationships between reading and mathematics achievement and…

The purpose of this report is to describe the development of a pool of mathematical problem-solving situations and a set of items for each situation which provides information about students' qualitatively different levels of reasoning ability as applied to that situation. For each problem-solving situation, a set of "structured…

A method for measuring recognition memory (free of distractors) and false recognition was based on the assumption that the subject was "honest." A distractor-free test of word recognition (a single-item test trial in which the 36 targets were presented prior to the 36 distractors) was compared with a traditional target-distractor…

A Children's Health Locus of Control Scale (CHLOCS), consisting of 20 items with three subscales (powerful others, internal control, chance control) was developed previously by Parcel and Myer to facilitate measurement of the Internal-External Construct relative to children's health behavior. The present study used two samples of children in…

The Change Facilitator Stages of Concern Questionnaire (CFSoCQ) as a procedure for studying the concerns of change facilitators is presented. It is based on the work of Francis Fuller, the concept of Stages of Concern, and the Concerns Based Adoption Model which deal with change facilitators' concerns regarding implementation of an innovative…

This 60-item, multiple-choice Seafarers Knowledge Inventory was developed for use in marine vocational classes (grades 9-12) to measure a student's knowledge of information that "seafarers" should know. Items measure knowledge of various aspects of boating operation, weather, safety, winds, and oceanography. Steps in the construction of…

Evidence suggests that victims of mathematics anxiety suffer from a poor self-concept regarding their mathematical ability. A 27-item attitude scale was developed reflecting attitude toward one's ability to learn mathematics. This scale was administered to 92 students taking a required statistics course, along with the Mathematics Anxiety Rating…

A Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) for Respiratory Therapist was developed by the U.S. Employment Service (USES). The technical adequacy of research, fairness to minorities, and usefulness of the battery to Employment Service staff and employers in selecting individuals for training in respiratory therapist positions were examined. Research…

A review of relevant research reveals the general characteristics of a test of oral communication performance, some specific characteristics of testing programs, and some directions that future performance testing should take. Characteristics of tests of oral communication performance are as follows: (1) students should be able to apply the skills…

One means of learning about the processes operating in a multiple choice test is to include some test items, called nonsense items, which have no correct answer. This paper compares two versions of a mathematical model of test performance to interpret test data that includes both genuine and nonsense items. One formula is based on the usual…

Psychologists can gain insight into human behavior by examining what people feel about, know about, and do with, computers. Two extreme reactions to computers are computer phobia, or anxiety, and computer addiction, or "hacking". A four-part questionnaire was developed to measure computer anxiety. The first part is a projective technique which…

Noting that in recent years testing has fallen into disrepute, this paper demonstrates how the construction, use, and validation of tests, if adequately conceived, can increase the level of knowledge about the intricate nature of the reading processes. The first section of the paper discusses the measurement process and the process of test…

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) has been engaged in oral language proficiency testing theory and practice for more than 20 years. The FSI test has been consistent during this time in format, evaluation criteria, performance standards, and level definitions. Current concerns about the degree of standardization of the format and the strength of…

This document, prepared as a conference handout, consists of a description of the revised General Educational Development (GED) Tests scheduled for introduction in 1988 and a series of recommendations concerning the content of future GED tests, which were formulated by a committee appointed by the Commission on Educational Credit and Credentials…

Presents the results of a study to determine whether an abbreviated edition of the Miller-Fisk questionnaire could be developed that would retain the range of content and statistical reliability of the original. (RB)