A procedure for inferring the validity of a selection test as a predictor of some criterion when the available data are limited due to prior selection is described. (Author/JKS)

Various classical approaches to evaluating test bias are reviewed, and their conceptual underpinnings are discussed. Bias is examined as it relates to predictive validity, rather than construct validity. One of the first test bias models was developed by T. A. Cleary (1968). Cleary's work with test bias and regression stimulated others to develop…

A model is proposed for investigating test validity as a predictor of a criterion variable when there are both missing and censored scores in the data set. Implications for maximum likelihood estimation are discussed, and the method is illustrated with hypothetical data sets. (SLD)

A method of estimating conditional standard error of measurement at specific score/ability levels is described that avoids theoretical problems identified for previous methods. The method focuses on variance of observed scores conditional on a fixed value of an observed parallel measurement, decomposing these variances into true and error parts.…

The model for educational measurement developed by George Rasch, a Danish psychometrician, is reviewed and its application to occupational educational testing discussed. The Rasch model is an adaptation from the theory of latent trait analysis. According to it, answering an item correctly is a function of the difficulty of the item and the ability…

Hierarchical (adaptive) and linear methods of testlet construction were compared. The performance of 2,080 ninth and tenth graders on a 4-item testlet was used to predict performance on the entire test. The adaptive test was slightly superior as a predictor, but the cost of obtaining that superiority was considerable. (SLD)

An elementary survey of item characteristic curve theory, centered around the problems of individualized (tailored) testing, is presented. Following the introduction, discussions are provided of the following: Test Theory for Itemized Tests; The Guttman Scale; Item Characteristic Curve Theory; An Alternative Model; Specialization, Application, and…

It is now widely agreed that current ability measures reflect a complex interaction of environment with genetic potential. This leads to a basic measurement problem since persons with the same measured ability may vary widely in potential due to non-equivalent learning opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to present a model which may hold…

To improve the accuracy of college placement, Rasch scoring and person-fit statistics on the Comparative Guidance and Placement test (CGP) was compared to the traditional right-only scoring. Correlations were calculated between English and mathematics course grades and scores of 1,448 entering freshmen on the reading, writing, and mathematics…

The validity of American College Testing Program (ACT) test scores and self-reported high school grades for predicting grades in specific college freshman courses was studied. Specific course grades are typically used to place students in remedial, standard, or advanced classes. These placement decisions, in turn, have immediate implications for…

The criterion-oriented problem of test bias and fairness in selection is compared to the construct-oriented problem of comparability of test scores in cross-cultural research. These problems are shown to have important similarities, and their studies may supplement each other. In a formulation of psychometric criteria for the comparability of test…