One of the overriding problems of any psychometric study is that aspects of behavior that are nonquantifiable or difficult to quantify are not considered. The other side of this coin is that those aspects of behavior that are easiest to quantify tend to be what are examined. In evaluating bilingual education programs, problems are found in the…

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) program is described in this article from the standpoint of the policy-making and administrative arrangement which provide the context within which the Advanced Literature and 22 other similar tests exist. The development and dissemination of the Advanced Tests is outlined. A discussion of policy-making and…

Three levels of screening procedures were used to identify the incidence and nature of learning disabilities. The first level involved the application by classroom teachers of the Classroom Screening Instrument (CSI), especially developed for the study, and of other measures; the second level involved psychoeducational differential diagnosis by…

This report presents an overview of research related to the development of the "Wisconsin Tests of Testimony and Reasoning Assessment," a battery of seven tests for assessing student development in the mastery of relevant concepts and skills of verbal argument for grades 10-12. Provided are (1) a discussion of the rationale for and…

Performance in concrete and abstract tasks is examined systematically by varying the degree of abstractness of problem-solving and concept formation tasks. Four forms of a problem solving test were constructed. Each form of the test presented problem situations through four different modes: verbal stories, picture-book, color slides,…

The first four chapters of this report primarily provide an extensive, critical review of the literature with regard to selected aspects of the criterion-referenced and mastery testing fields. Major topics treated include: (a) definitions, distinctions, and background, (b) the relevance of classical test theory, (c) validity and procedures for…

The aim of this investigation was to develop a justifiable and efficient procedure for locating the top two percent of the eighth grade students in an inner-city junior high school. The WISC performance IQ was chosen as the criterion measure. Four screening measures were used to select students for the WISC: an achievement test (the California…

The materials cited here represent information on such diverse but interrelated areas as: methods of assessing achievement, intelligence, personality factors, and attitudes; effects of testing on self concept and employment opportunities; prediction of academic success; reliability and validity of specific tests; criticism of the methods and use…

This brief review explains some alternate scoring procedures to the classical method of summing correct responses. The novel procedures attempt in some way to retrieve and use even the information in the wrong responses. (Author)

Bayesian estimation procedures are summarized and numerically illustrated by means of simulation methods. Procedures of data generation for simulation purposes are also delineated and computationally demonstrated. The logistic model basic to the Bayesian estimation procedures is shown to be explicit with respect to the probability distribution…

The objectives of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program for 1972-73 are: (1) to provide State officials and citizens with information which contributes to an understanding of the educational needs of the State's school children and to the analysis of the educational system's response to these needs; (2) to provide citizens and educators with…

This is a teacher's guide for "Poor Simpleton," a language test designed for students of English in bilingual programs. The guide explains the nature of the test, how to administer and score it, and how to analyze test results. The test is a modified version of the cloze procedure. Unlike most cloze tests, which are…

Reports on a study designed to determine whether or not biology students were being disadvantaged by taking computer tests instead of written paper forms of the same tests. Results indicated that mean scores on computer-administered and written forms of the same test were approximately equivalent. (TW)

Describes design of an item bank for use with lower ability mathematics students in Scottish secondary schools. Aspects of bank usage discussed include raw score translation to measures on validated scales, test design for various purposes, and ways of recording and analyzing results. Test examples with corresponding outputs are given. (Author/MBR)

There are few certifying or recertifying examinations in the medical field that are given in a take-home format. This stems from a concern that examinees may discuss items with peers, or save copies of items on the exam and then pass them on to others. This study examined if item exposure on take-home examinations influences the difficulty of the…