A "recentering" of Scholastic Assessment Test scores will boost average scores but will not change test item difficulty. The objective is to reduce confusion among students and parents about what is an average score, make math and verbal scores more comparable, and account for a different student population. Bar graphs compare…

Explains why it is so difficult to define communicative testing, discusses problems related to communicative testing, and concludes with suggestions for further research. (15 references) (CFM)

A study that revised and validated the criterion-referenced mastery measurement (CRMM) constructed specifically for the capillary melting point determination technique (CMPDT) is described. The methods, results, and conclusion are included. (KR)

A culture-specific approach to identifying artistic talent in African-American students is presented, called Tactuality. Tactuality identifies four characteristics: emotional intensity, flexibility and open-endedness, holistic perception, and tactile sensitivity. A pilot test with 63 fourth graders resulted in statistical problems with validation.…

Discusses the content and cognitive specification of the third edition of the Test of Understanding in College Economics. Presents examples of the construction and sampling criteria employed in the latest and previous versions of the test. Explains that the test emphasizes recognition and understanding of basic terms, concepts, and principles with…

Self-efficacy may be an important determinant of Hispanic student adjustment to college. The 20-item College Self-Efficacy Inventory was validated with 164 Hispanic college students. Principal components analysis yielded three subscales (course, social, and roommate efficacy) with strong internal consistency and good convergent and discriminant…

Studied methods for structuring a performance domain for a certification test in emergency nursing based on task frequency ratings from 659 emergency nurses or task similarity ratings from 21 experts. A 125-job analysis survey was used. Similarity judgment results are more easily interpreted and adequately modeled by multivariate analysis. (SLD)

Some cautions are sounded for converting a linearly administered test to an adaptive format. Four areas are identified in which practices broadly used in traditionally constructed tests can have adverse effects if thoughtlessly adopted when a test is administered in an adaptive mode. (SLD)

Describes the development of an affective measure of student attitudes toward their advisors, called the Descy Attitude toward Advisors scale (DATAs). Content validity is discussed, along with construct validity and alpha reliability data gathered on 120 graduate students in the fields of education and nursing. A copy of DATAs is appended.…

To provide an introduction to item-response theory (IRT) for individuals with modest statistical and mathematical skills, the book emphasizes a conceptual approach to understanding IRT concepts. The book fills the gap between mathematically detailed studies and summary chapters on IRT in general texts. (SLD)

Describes development of the Therapeutic Reactance Scale, which was developed to measure psychological reactance as defined by Brehm (1966), factor analysis of scale into verbal and behavioral reactance subscales, and reliability and validity data from study with 130 college students. (Author/ABL)

Describes the development of the Educational Testing Service's (ETS) tests of composition for native speakers of English and of the Test of English as a Foreign Language's (TOEFL) Test of Written English (TWE). Recommendations are provided for carefully scrutinizing new developments in ETS testing as they affect students. (39 references) (GLR)

Development of a teacher rating scale--the Student Participation Questionnaire (SPQ)--to assess the form/extent of participation in class/school activities among elementary-school students and its administration to 2,207 fourth graders in 258 classrooms in 74 schools are described. The SPQ yields three reliable scales germane to elementary school…

A study compared the use of free-form alternative-choice (AC) test items, offering two response options, and both complex and single-best-answer multiple-choice items for use of information in making clinical judgments. Although the AC items' reliability was less than other types, students felt they tested knowledge application, not just recall.…

Discussion of computer-based testing (CBT) focuses on the development of the database format question (DFQ) which allows the user to build up a more complex answer than multiple choice by selecting items from a database presented on the computer screen. Programing is explained and an evaluation of DFQ is included. (Seven references) (LRW)