This guide explains the concept of out-of-level testing and suggests a formula for estimating the occurrence of floor effects and ceiling effects, within the context of models for evaluating Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I programs. An analogy explains floor and ceiling effects as if test items are stored in different levels in a…

In March 1977, the New Jersey Board of Higher Education created the New Jersey Basic Skills Assessment Program. To direct the program, the Board created the Basic Skills Council, which was charged with developing a test in reading, writing, and mathematics for all freshmen entering all New Jersey public colleges and universities. The purpose was…

This paper reviews the research in the area of achievement tests. The findings indicate: (1) there is little evidence that educational decision makers use the large amount of test data collected; (2) a larger number of tests are being required of students for personal certification; (3) reasons for the lack of application of test results include…

Specific suggestions and guidelines are presented for modifying psychological tests so that they can be used to obtain results that are not distorted by the individual's handicap. Focus is on testing persons with sight, hearing, and academic problems with the indication that principles developed for this fairly high percentage of the severely…

To analyze test item and person interactions according to the Rasch Model, 822 incoming community college freshman were administered the New Jersey Basic Skills Placement Test. The Logical Relationships and Elementary Algebra subtests were chosen to examine the effect of differing average item difficulty on descriptions of fit statistics and on…

THE FOUR AREAS PRESENTED ARE GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL INTELLIGENCE TESTS, ACHIEVEMENT TESTS, EDUCATIONAL GROUPING PROCEDURES, AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW INCOME. A TRACK SYSTEM, OR ANY SYSTEM OF GROUPING, SHOULD PROMOTE RATHER THAN HINDER THE ACHIEVEMENT OF BOTH THE LOW-INCOME GROUPS AND THE HIGHER-INCOME GROUPS. THE PRESENT TRACK SYSTEM IN…

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY WERE--(1) TO DISCOVER VARIATIONS IN LANGUAGE ACHIEVEMENTS OF CHILDREN AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF MENTAL RETARDATION, (2) TO DISCOVER "OPEN CHANNELS" FOR CURRENT EDUCATION OF THESE CHILDREN, (3) TO CHART THE FREQUENCY OF SPECIFIC DIFFICULTIES IN THE INTAKE AND OUTPUT IDEAS THROUGH LANGUAGE, AND (4) TO IDENTIFY…

A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A "CURRICULUM HIERARCHY FOR THE EVALUATION OF COURSE KNOWLEDGE," THE "CHECK" TECHNIQUE, IS PRESENTED. THE TECHNIQUE IS BASED UPON A MODEL WHICH INITIALLY NECESSITATES TRANSLATING THE LEARNING PROCESSES AND OBJECTIVES INTO EASILY IDENTIFIABLE BEHAVIORAL RESPONSES. THE PROCESS OF…

THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS OF 262 DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING STUDENTS (GRADES 7 TO 9) IN THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE PRESENTED IN TABLE FORM--(1) THE TEST USED TO SECURE AN INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT AND THE NUMBER OF PUPILS TESTED, (2) THE YEAR THE IQ TEST WAS GIVEN AND THE NUMBER OF PUPILS TESTED, (3) ACHIEVEMENT TESTS USED AND THE NUMBER OF…

THE INTENT OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO ASSEMBLE BASIC DATA ABOUT CURRENT TESTING PRACTICES IN MINNESOTA SCHOOL SYSTEMS. PREPARED WERE TWO QUESTIONNAIRES, ONE FOR THE ELEMENTARY AND THE OTHER FOR THE SECONDARY LEVELS. THEY WERE DESIGNED TO BE AS SIMILAR AS POSSIBLE. THE TABLES CONTAINING THE DATA FROM THE QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES ARE THE HEART OF THE…

A STUDY WAS INITIATED IN 12 SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FILMED CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS COURSES. CONTROL VARIABLES WERE USED TO INSURE COMPARABILITY OF EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS. ACHIEVEMENT, INTEREST, AND ATTITUDE SERVED AS THE STANDARDS BY WHICH THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FILMED COURSES WERE JUDGED. BOTH GROUPS WERE…

THIS STUDY ASSESSED THE VALUE OF A COMBINATION OF PROGRAMED INSTRUCTION AND THE CASE METHOD AS A GRADUATE-LEVEL TEACHING TECHNIQUE. TESTS, SYLLABI, AND PROGRAMED CASE STUDIES WERE DEVELOPED FOR CLASSES IN SCHOOL LAW AT FOUR UNIVERSITIES. THE STUDENTS WERE PRE- AND POST-TESTED AND WERE RATED ON BOTH ACHIEVEMENT AND AN OPINION SCALE. IN THE…

This study explores the relationships between nonconservation, conservation, field dependence/field independence and the following school variables: achievement, screening measures, sex and race. A sample of 72 students in grade one in a southern rural elementary school were grouped into three sections by ability and given a series of tests.…

Key findings of a pilot study of the Alaska Instructional Diagnostic System (AIDS) are summarized. The AIDS pilot test served to verify the appropriateness of the skills survey as well as the validity and reliability of the items. The AIDS testing system includes three components: (1) upper level skills surveys (grades 3-8); (2) lower level skill…

The potential use of criterion referenced tests (CRT) and norm referenced tests (NRT) in the same testing program is discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of each are listed, and the best solution, a merging, is proposed. To merge CRTs and NRTs into an overall testing program, meaningful and useful to all levels, consideration must be given…