Police officers (n=166) completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory versions 1 and 2 (MMPI-1 and MMPI-2) in one sitting. Results showed an overall concordance of 78% for the tests, with a 90% concordance rate for a set of well-defined profiles. Implications for test use are discussed. (SLD)

When schools are compared, there are variables that need to be considered because the playing field is not level. This paper discusses concepts and generalizations that must be understood to interpret test results and school report cards properly. There are many limitations in using test results to compare schools, particularly since students may…

This study asserts that central examinations need not necessarily be those administered by the government; they can be examinations centralized at some administrative level, but in any case, they are external to the school. This study also assessed the impact of central examinations on the functioning of the education system and students academic…

Discusses three common misconceptions about achievement testing: (1) the idea that men generally outscore women; (2) the notion that the primary role of norms is to compare one student to another; and (3) the misconception that it is not possible to measure the achievement of kindergarten and primary grade students with group tests. (SLD)

This document discusses the scores of Albuquerque (New Mexico) Public Schools (APS) students on the American College Test (ACT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) during the 1982-83 school year. Graphs, a map, and a question and answer format are used to report the information. Comparisons of average ACT scores and average SAT scores are drawn…

The following ways of linking results from distinct assessments to use them for multiple purposes are reviewed: (1) equating; (2) calibration; (3) statistical moderation; (4) prediction; and (5) social moderation. The characteristics of these methods, their requirements, and the comparative inferences they support are described. (SLD)

The annual student performance information released in Indiana reports information on many different criteria and treats the data as if all comparisons should be the same. However, Indiana needs to set performance expectations that require all, not just some, students to improve. The Indiana Statewide Test of Educational Proficiencies Plus…

The state-by-state comparisons of results on the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) present the literacy community with some good news and a bit of a puzzle: scores have improved, but the results cannot provide answers as to why one grade or state is doing better or worse than in the past. State-by-state results show that…

Three test administration procedures for making placement decisions in adult education were compared (paper-based, computer-based, and computerized-adaptive tests) with 90 adult-education students. Test performance was not differentially affected by the mode of administration, but the computerized adaptive test always yielded more precise ability…

This publication provides a reference for educators and others interested in conducting comparative studies relative to North Carolina tests. It includes norms, tables, and other statistical information for all state-developed tests (state-mandated and local-option tests for which baseline data are available) that were administered during the…

This report summarizes the results from two studies. The first assessed the comparability of scores derived from linear computer-based (CBT) and computer adaptive (CAT) versions of the three Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test measures. A verbal CAT was taken by 1,507, a quantitative CAT by 1,354, and an analytical CAT by 995…

This analysis addresses two important questions regarding appropriate uses of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) statewide average test score comparisons. First is whether NAEP state test score averages provide meaningful and valid comparisons of the relative educational quality or proficiency of specific states. The other…

The "DATAWave" is a biweekly publication of the Assessment Resource Office (ARO) at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU). Its purpose is to inform the campus community and broader constituencies on assessment issues and practices at ENMU. The university's 10-year history of outcomes assessment is reflected in the topics of the 6 editions…

The Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act first required project participation and achievement data from the states for the 1979-80 school year. Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (ECIA) repealed the requirements for use of federally mandated…

This document reports on the first segment of a project that estimates the determinants of individual enlistment decisions using the 1992 second followup of the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS). The NELS sample contains youths who were high school seniors in 1992. The project's first segment estimates scores on the Armed Forces…