Describes a program system which was developed for the purpose of making estimates about the nature of the distribution of test scores which will result from an administration of a test composed of items of which estimates of item-difficulty and discrimination are available. (Author/RC)

In this study, the effect of appended pretesting was evaluated with regard to item statistics and examinee scores for groups of items that were pretested as part of a large-scale operational testing program. In appended pretesting, items are administered in a separately timed section at the end of an operational test battery. Two evaluations were…

Outlines the purposes of pretests and considerations in their construction. (JR)

Reports the procedure followed by members of the Testing and Evaluation Section, Schools Council Modern Languages Project, York, in producing test batteries to accompany the Nuffield/Schools Council language courses, the French course "En Avant" in particular. (RM)

Computer assisted test construction (CATC) is a new testing technique that seems to provide ease and flexibility for faculty members and students. The purpose of this paper was to verify that student test scores are not adversely affected by implementation of CATC. Two sections of a basic course in cataloging were tested for one semester. One…

A description of a method used with criterion referenced tests which is designed to reduce guessing. (HB)

Four Proficiency Examinations for Clinical Laboratory Personnel were developed in Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, Hematology, and Blood Banking. Purpose of project was to enable competent military laboratory technicians who lack credentials to demonstrate their job-related skills and knowledge for civilian positions, and also to help civilians…

This study examines the Average System, an alternate procedure to the Rasch Model, for equating test scores. This technique does not require computers and can be easily employed by classroom teachers. A validation experiment using 23 sets of 10-item arithmetic tests constructed from a 230-item bank is described. (BS)

This paper describes the development, utility, and validity of the Situational Self-statement and Affective State Inventory (SSASI), a research inventory designed to assess cognitions and affects across a variety of five hypothetical situations. Each situation describes a realistic incident involving interpersonal conflict, principally criticism…

Because social attitudes constitute a salient feature of the environment in which people grow old, the measurement of attitudes toward the aged has been of concern to gerontologists for many years. An instrument is needed to provide independent estimates of information about the aged from attitudes toward aged persons. Undergraduates (N=311)…

Criterion-referenced proficiency examinations have been prepared for entry level occupational therapists and entry level occupational therapy assistants. Item development was based on a task inventory solicited from occupational therapists throughout the country, with six occupational therapists reviewing test development. A small scale pilot test…

The desirable characteristics of criterion referenced test items and sets of items are described. A two-stage item tryout and item selection procedure are also described. The paper presents the results of using the procedure as compared with traditional item selection procedures used in selecting items for norm referenced tests. It was found that…

Under the guidance of an advisory committee from the American Association for Respiratory Therapy (AART), The Psychological Corporation developed three forms of two criterion-referenced proficiency examinations to measure the skills, understandings, and knowledge required in entry level jobs for two levels of respiratory therapy personnel. The…

Considers four major decisions to illustrate the complexity of decision making about pretesting as part of the instructional process: whether a pretest should be administered; the behaviors that should be pretested; how pretesting should be accomplished; and how teaching strategies should be adjusted to pretest results. (MBR)

In a review of instruments measuring gender-related constructs, a number of shortcomings were found in existing scales. A new scale to measure sex-role attitudes was developed and tested by first proposing the construct of sex-role egalitarianism and then initiating the process of construct validation by developing a reliable measure of the…