Due to increased use of computer-based assessments, comparability studies are moving beyond paper-and-pencil versus computer-based assessments to analyze variances with computers. It is therefore practically important to determine whether screen size and definition of the device affect students' performance. Using data from a large school district…

Stan is a new Bayesian statistical software program that implements the powerful and efficient Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) algorithm. To date there is not a source that systematically provides Stan code for various item response theory (IRT) models. This article provides Stan code for three representative IRT models, including the…

We extend to the longitudinal setting a latent class approach that was recently introduced by Lanza, Coffman, and Xu to estimate the causal effect of a treatment. The proposed approach enables an evaluation of multiple treatment effects on subpopulations of individuals from a dynamic perspective, as it relies on a latent Markov (LM) model that is…

As adaptive tutoring systems grow increasingly popular for the completion of classwork and homework, it is crucial to assess the manner in which students are scored within these platforms. The majority of systems, including ASSISTments, return the binary correctness of a student's first attempt at solving each problem. Yet for many teachers,…

This article describes how a Brier score analysis can be used as an evaluative tool to estimate the predictive accuracy of a course placement policy that was established based on professional or subjective judgment. The policy being evaluated uses the score received on the mathematics portion of the SAT examination as the primary mechanism to…

This study examined the influence of placement in a co-taught inclusive classroom on the academic achievement of general education students in grades 6-8 in a suburban New York school district on the 2014 New York State ELA and Mathematics Assessments. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) was utilized for sample selection in order to simulate a more…

Propensity score matching (PSM) has become a popular approach for research studies when randomization is infeasible. However, there are significant differences in the effectiveness of selection bias reduction among the existing PSM methods and, therefore, it is challenging for researchers to select an appropriate matching method. This current…

Today's students demand that their lessons be real, interesting, relevant, and manageable. Mathematics is one subject that eludes many students partly because its traditional presentation lacks those elements that encourage students to learn. Easy accessibility through electronic media has exposed people all over the world to a variety of sports…

We investigate short and long-term effects of early childhood education using variation created by a unique policy experiment in British Columbia, Canada. Our findings imply starting Kindergarten one year late substantially reduces the probability of repeating the third grade, and meaningfully increases in tenth grade math and reading scores.…

Four rats' choices between two levers were differentially reinforced using a runs-test algorithm. On each trial, a runs-test score was calculated based on the last 20 choices. In Experiment 1, the onset of stimulus lights cued when the runs score was smaller than criterion. Following cuing, the correct choice was occasionally reinforced with food,…

This paper provides a history of ETS's role in developing assessment instruments and psychometric procedures for measuring change in large-scale national assessments funded by the Longitudinal Studies branch of the National Center for Education Statistics. It documents the innovations developed during more than 30 years of working with…

Representative samples of fourth- and eighth-grade public school students from 21 urban districts participated in the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in mathematics. Eighteen of the districts participating in the 2011 NAEP Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) participated in earlier assessment years, while three districts…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…