Most implementations of the Mantel-Haenszel differential item functioning procedure delete records with missing responses or replace missing responses with scores of 0. These treatments of missing data make strong assumptions about the causes of the missing data. Such assumptions may be particularly problematic when groups differ in their patterns…

The presence of outlying anchor items is an issue faced by many testing agencies. The decision to retain or remove an item is a difficult one, especially when the content representation of the anchor set becomes questionable by item removal decisions. Additionally, the reason for the aberrancy is not always clear, and if the performance of the…

In this article, we introduce a person-fit statistic called the hierarchy consistency index (HCI) to help detect misfitting item response vectors for tests developed and analyzed based on a cognitive model. The HCI ranges from -1.0 to 1.0, with values close to -1.0 indicating that students respond unexpectedly or differently from the responses…

Computer-based assessments are becoming more commonplace, perhaps as a necessity for faculty to cope with large class sizes. These tests often occur in large computer testing venues in which test security may be compromised. In an attempt to limit the likelihood of cheating in such venues, randomised presentation of items is automatically…

Although there are many advantages to using computer-based tests (CBTs) linked to computer-based instruction (CBI), there are also several difficulties. In certain instructional settings, it is difficult to conduct psychometric analyses of test results. Several measurement issues surface when CBT programs are linked to CBI. Testing guidelines…

Reports on the data gleaned from the survey on dance education administered simultaneously with the 1997 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) arts assessments. Presents the process and problems of developing and implementing assessments in dance. Considers the value of the assessments to dance and offers recommendations for the…

Educators are called upon to improve the quality of classroom tests to enhance the learning of content. Less faculty concern for tests than for other features of instruction, compounded by a lack of knowing how to assess different levels of learning with test questions that measure complex processes, appear to generate poor quality classroom…

The idea that validity should be considered a property of inferences, rather than of assessments, has developed slowly over the past century. In early writings about the validity of educational assessments, validity was defined as a property of an assessment. The most common definition was that an assessment was valid to the extent that it…

This paper clarifies important distinctions in item writing and item scoring and considers the implications of these distinctions for developing guidelines related to test construction for training teachers. The terminology used to describe and classify paper and pencil test questions frequently confuses two distinct features of questions:…

This article presents the perspective that the quality of teacher-made, small classroom tests has not improved, and may have declined in recent years. This decline may be due to the fact that teachers have come to believe that the kinds of objective items used in national standardized tests are the only item types appropriate for classroom use.…

Problems in constructing criterion referenced tests related to inadequate technical criteria, and guidelines for their solution are discussed. The need to select a well-defined domain of behaviors is emphasized as the key to test construction and to understanding students' test performance. Considerations must also be given to the most effective…

The Microcomputer Diagnostic Testing Project (MDTP) was designed to broaden the use of microcomputers in student testing, for elementary and secondary school use, and for a variety of test item formats. MDTP was designed to administer tests, to allow teachers to create or revise tests, to print out test forms when desired, to score tests, to…

This book is a practical guide for assessing the intended learning outcomes of classroom instruction. It is based on the premise that assessment of student achievement plays a vital role in instruction and that the main goal of assessment is to improve learning. The new title of this sixth edition reflects a shift from major concern with classroom…

This conference focused on the broad theme, improving the quality and scope of measurement. The first session centered on improving criteria for educational and psychological measurement, with papers on Criteria for Complex Mental Processes by Robert C. Wilson and on Criteria of Nonintellectual Aspects of Personality by Morris I. Stein. The second…