Assessments represent an important component of undergraduate courses because they affect how students interact with course content and gauge student achievement of course objectives. To make decisions on assessment design, instructors must understand the affordances and limitations of available question formats. Here, we use a crossover…

We study the properties of two specification tests that have been applied to a variety of estimators in the context of value-added measures (VAMs) of teacher and school quality: the Hausman test for choosing between random and fixed effects and a test for feedback (sometimes called a "falsification test"). We discuss theoretical…

This is one of a series of brief and non-technical mini-reports of the Evaluation System of the District of Columbia Public Schools. This report deals with the prediction of gain in Prescriptive Mathematics Test (PMT) scores. Twenty-two variables were involved in the analyses reported in the mini-report. The data were analyzed for all grade…

The purpose of this study was to determine the discriminatory ability of eight selected skill tests in evaluating the abilities of a group of male basketball players. The raw scores of the skill tests for each participant were analyzed by a stepwise discriminant analysis procedure. The results of this study indicate that a test battery comprised…

Examines practices that encourage false negatives and false positives on licensing and certification tests designed to protect the public. Recommends increasing the amount of testing or raising the required passing score for repeat test takers. (FMW)

This paper reports the results of a study in which the following issues were addressed: (1) whether there is a strong relationship between syntactic enhancement, as measured by Davidson's Test of Ability to Subordinate (TAS), and overall writing ability; (2) whether a subordination test has any predictive ability for attained writing proficiency;…

Presents study administered to Egyptian FL students to identify optimal combinations and weights of subscales of English language proficiency for predicting ESL proficiency while following constraints posed by syllabus. Results show error identification, grammar accuracy, vocabulary, and composition as best predictors. (Author/BK)

A study dealt with the use of the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) within a job component validity framework as the basis for estimating aptitude requirements of jobs represented by scores on commercially available tests as contrasted with scores on General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) tests. Procedures generally consisted of the use of job…

A decision-making or utility theory model (which deals effectively with affirmative action goals and allows standardized tests to be placed in the service of those goals) is discussed as an alternative to traditional predictive admissions. (Author/PN)

The following 8 variables were tested as predictors of success of students enrolled in freshman chemistry at Tennessee Technological University: (1) ACT subtest in natural science; (2) ACT subtest in mathematics; (3) ACT composite scores; (4) final course grade in high school chemistry; (5) final course grade in high school physics; (6) high…

Discusses attempts made in the United States and elsewhere to develop prognostic tests that would justify decisions to exclude unqualified students from high school foreign-language classes. After the Second World War, U.S. government language programs supported research in the assessment of language aptitude to improve selection techniques. (36…

Investigates the utility of the Early Screening Profiles to differentiate between preschoolers at risk for cognitive delays and non-risk preschoolers. The Total Screening score, by itself, was found to correctly classify approximately 81% of the preschoolers. In separate analysis, the Cognitive/Language and Motor profiles were required to maintain…

This study analyzed and tested the equivalence of Forms A and B of the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). In designing the CCTST, Form A was composed of 34 items from a bank of 200. To develop a parallel measure, Form B was developed by rewriting 28 of the 34 items and rearranging their order. Study participants were all entering…

The language problems of foreign teaching assistants (TAs) at American universities are formidable. At UCLA, the ESL Section of the English Department has responded to the needs of foreign TAs through the development of an advanced course in oral communication that focuses on teaching-related skills. A research project has been undertaken as well.…

The Vocational Instruction, Training and Assessment (VITA) Project conducted a study to determine whether a battery of tests used with a sample of handicapped students enrolled in vocational education program(s) could aid in predicting success in vocational training. Procedures, instruments, and student samples were selected to provide data on (1)…