The third section of this two-volume report examines the utility of the model developed in section I for application in a classroom testing situation. The model was applied in arithmetic classes through a weekly testing program. The teacher specified the generic task being taught, tests were constructed using a table of random numbers to select…

The Research and Evaluation Branch of the Los Angeles Unified School District presents a bulletin to help prepare students to do their best on achievement tests. The bulletin is divided into five sections. After an introduction, section 2, "Characteristics of Today's Standardized Achievement Tests" discusses test content, test format,…

Major efforts of this project fall into four categories: (1) investigations were performed on the relationship between the dimensionality of a dataset and its underlying cognitive processes; (2) two approaches for diagnosing erroneous rules of operation were developed (an "error vector" system for constructing error diagnostic programs…

The purpose of the paper is to determine whether test forms of the Mathematics Usage Test (AAP Math) of the American College Testing Program are parallel in a multidimensional sense. The AAP Math is an achievement test of mathematics concepts acquired by high school students by the end of their third year. To determine the dimensionality of the…

Many researchers have suggested that the cause of differential item functioning (DIF) can in part be due to the misspecification of the supporting trait distribution (STD). This paper demonstrates how a unidimensional item response theory (IRT) calibration of response data, generated from a two-dimensional IRT model, results in DIF when the…

The purpose of this study was to provide evidence for adapting and generalizing the use of the Children's Academic Motivation Inventory (CAMI) to high school students. The instrument was originally developed to provide a reliable, valid, theory-based measure of academic achievement motivation; it was suitable for use with children aged 12-14…

This booklet provides Grade 6 teachers, administrators, and students with samples of students' writing that exemplify the criteria used to score students' written responses on the June 1988 Grade 6 English Language Arts Achievement Test. The writing assignment required students to read the beginning of a story and use their imaginations to…

The results of the program of credit by examination at the University of Texas at Austin during the 1986-1987 testing year are presented. The data provide a basis for a comprehensive picture of the impact of the program on this campus. The examinations covered 51 subject areas with 171 courses taught in 36 departments/divisions in 8 colleges and…

Extended caution indices (ECI) specify the degree of confidence that can be placed in an individual's test score by analyzing patterns of item response. Among the most promising of such indices are the standardized ECIs. Contrary to the literature, several instances were found, in a previous study, of nonnormal distributions of ECIs with samples…

A review of the literature about practices in evaluating art education programs led to the design of the new evaluation model described in this paper. The literature review revealed that a growing number of authors advocate qualitative methods, and that a debate exists regarding the combination of qualitative and quantitative data gathering and…

New legislation in 1972 shifted the emphasis of the California Assessment Program (CAP) from traditional every pupil achievement testing to a more efficient multiple-matrix testing design, under which a broad spectrum of skills could be surveyed without undue expenditure of educational resources. Scale score reporting was introduced to the grade 6…

This bulletin provides general information about the achievement testing program and a description of the grade three achievement test. The general information section elaborates on the aspects of the test which involve: (1) the test's purpose; (2) the nature of the test; (3) exemptions from the test; and (4) information concerning students…

These studies in test adequacy focus on two problems: procedures for estimating reliability, and techniques for identifying ineffective distractors. Fourteen papers are presented on recent advances in measuring achievement (a response to Molenaar); "an extension of the Dirichlet-multinomial model that allows true score and guessing to be…

In 1979, a special program was implemented for junior high students unable to benefit from regular programming due to a failure to cope with regular school courses, irregular and non-attendance, disruptive behavior, or poor self-concept. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained from site visits, achievement tests in reading and mathematics,…

The research literature on oral achievement testing is reviewed, and advantages and disadvantages of oral tests are described. A number of suggestions are made for improving the objectivity, reliability, and validity of oral tests. The results of a survey of the attitudes and experiences of a selected sample of college students with regard to…