Three statistical problems related to criterion-referenced testing are investigated: estimation of the likelihood of a false-positive or false-negative decision with a mastery test, estimation of true scores in the Compound Binomial Error Model, and comparison of the examinees to a control. Two methods for estimating the likelihood of…

Five data collection techniques and two sampling methods were examined in terms of costs, rates of return, quality of the data collected, and degree of representativeness in assessing needs and interests of public television viewers in rural areas. Data collection techniques were (1) mail only, (2) mail incentive, (3) telephone only, (4) mail and…

Two sampling designs were compared for the planned 1978 national longitudinal survey of high school seniors with respect to statistical efficiency and cost. The 1972 survey used a stratified two-stage sample of high schools and seniors within schools. In order to minimize interviewer travel costs, an alternate sampling design was proposed,…

A stratified two-stage cluster sample design was chosen for the Texas Assessment Project and is described in this document. The sample was designed so as to achieve a chosen level of precision in item analysis data within each of the 20 geographic regions chosen for analysis. Four sampling frames were developed: 9-year-olds; sixth graders;…

Sixteen item statistics recommended for use in the development of criterion-referenced tests were evaluated. There were two major criteria: (1) practicability in terms of ease of computation and interpretation and (2) meaningfulness in the context of the development process. Most of the statistics were based on a comparison of performance changes…

The state of the art in observational studies is discussed, with emphasis on explanatory research--studies of program effectiveness in which an attempt is made to explain the reasons for the results as well as describing the results. In addition to the collection of data and presentation of statistical facts, the explanatory study involves the…

The average design effects for statistics estimated from the base-year National Longitudinal Study data are presented. Attempts to partition the effects into those due to stratification, clustering, and unequal weighting are discussed. The expected increases in subpopulation sample sizes due to oversampling are calculated and compared with the…

In order to meet the needs of all the Armed Services, new forms of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) must periodically be developed, refined, and standardized on an appropriate normative sample. Since one of the uses of the ASVAB is to determine candidate suitability for military service, it is necessary for the…

The capability was studied of each of three models for producing indices that will reproduce school effectiveness rankings established a priori through simulation. The models used were a within-group regression technique, a regression model using individual scores, and a regression model using means. Data for 54 hypothetical schools on input, SES,…

Statistical sampling techniques for the measurement of book readership within libraries are described. The procedures, developed and initially implemented at Rider College, rely upon interviews of book readers inside the library rather than upon such indirect usage measures as which volumes are lift on tables for reshelving, or analyses of user…

The following topics are included in this document: (1) evaluation of plans for implementation of new systems; (2) macroevaluation of document retrieval systems; (3) microevaluation of retrospective searching; (4) evaluation of document acquisition functions; evluation of indexing and indexing languages; (5) evaluation of document screening; (6)…

Empirical comparisons are made of three statistical sampling methods evaluated for estimating total number of relevant documents in collection for given query: simple random sampling, random sampling which assigns unequal selection probabilities to individual documents in collection, and curve fitting and extrapolation. Nine references and…

Teachers are held accountable for their students' success, yet they generally do not control the curricular decision-making process that affects students' performance. This study sought to ascertain K-12 public school teachers' concerns about five factors that impact curriculum, supervision and instruction: Administration; Collaboration; Work…

This monograph critiques the many nonexperimental impact estimation approaches that have been based on external comparison groups. It proposes an approach to evaluating employment and training (E&T) programs that calls for using the group of individuals who apply to a program but then choose not to participate in that program as an…

This book is intended for a one-semester or one-term course in educational research. It is designed to enable students to become intelligent consumers of educational research and to introduce its basic principles to those who eventually may be involved in research in their work. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction to Research in Education"; (2)…