Evaluating scale comparability in international large-scale assessments depends on measurement invariance (MI). The root mean square deviation (RMSD) is a standard method for establishing MI in several programs, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment and the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies.…

We propose a new limited-information goodness of fit test statistic C[subscript 2] for ordinal IRT models. The construction of the new statistic lies formally between the M[subscript 2] statistic of Maydeu-Olivares and Joe (2006), which utilizes first and second order marginal probabilities, and the M*[subscript 2] statistic of Cai and Hansen…

This paper considers the model of school effectiveness (SE) currently dominant in research, policy and practice in England (although the concerns it raises are international). It shows, principally through consideration of initial and propagated error, that SE results cannot be relied upon. By considering the residual difference between the…

Most currently used measures of inter-rater agreement for the nominal case incorporate a correction for "chance agreement." The definition of chance agreement is not the same for all coefficients, however. Three chance-corrected coefficients are Cohen's Kappa; Scott's Pi; and the S index of Bennett, Goldstein, and Alpert, which has…

Data for four-, five-, and seven-position Likert formats from 292 undergraduates showed systematic error varied among formats, i.e., central tendency errors tended to increase with increasing number of categories and to reduce variances expected. (Author)

The well-known problem of cumulating error probabilities is reconsidered from a general epistemological perspective, namely, the concepts of severity and of fairness of tests. It is shown that not only Type 1 but also Type 2 errors can cumulate. A new adjustment strategy is proposed and applied. (Author/JAZ)

Computer simulations indicate that the correlation between baseline and change, by itself, does not invalidate the use of gain scores to measure change, but when the negative correlation is accompanied by decrease in variance from pretest to posttest, covariance is a superior measure of change. (SLD)

Sampling distributions for ten tests for comparing population variances in a two group design were generated for several combinations of equal and unequal sample sizes, population means, and group variances when distributional forms differed. The ten procedures included: (1) O'Brien's (OB); (2) O'Brien's with adjusted degrees of freedom; (3)…

LISREL-type structural equation modeling is a powerful statistical technique that seems appropriate for social science variables which are complex and difficult to measure. The literature on the specification, estimation, and testing of such models is voluminous. The greatest proportion of this literature, however, focuses on the technical aspects…

The present paper suggests that multivariate methods ought to be used more frequently in behavioral research and explores the potential consequences of failing to use multivariate methods when these methods are appropriate. The paper explores in detail two reasons why multivariate methods are usually vital. The first is that they limit the…

The sampling of teachers for nationwide surveys offers a challenging endeavor in obtaining a representative and adequate sample to truly represent opinions of the teachers. Ten national surveys of public school teachers conducted between 1980 and 1985 are presented with respect to their sampling design and procedures. Concepts and theoretical…

This paper examines how various equating methods are affected by: (1) sampling error; (2) sample characteristics; and (3) characteristics of anchor test items. It reviews empirical studies that investigated the invariance of equating transformations, and it discusses empirical and simulation studies that focus on how the properties of anchor tests…

This study investigated seven methods for analyzing multivariate group differences. Bonferroni t statistics, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) followed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), and five other methods were studied using Monte Carlo methods. Methods were compared with respect to (1) experimentwise error rate; (2) power; (3) number…

This study explores the use of the modified caution index (MCI) for identifying judges whose patterns of recommendations suggest that their judgments might be based on incomplete information, flawed reasoning, or inattention to their standard-setting tasks. It also examines the effect on test standards and passing rates when the test standards of…