This report of the Task Force on Measurement and Evaluation in the Study of English (appointed by the National Council of Teachers of English) analyzes the present state of the art of testing and recommends the use of common sense in selecting and using tests and in interpreting the information derived from testing. The report views standardized…

Present definitions of the criterion-referenced test are discussed, insufficiences noted, and a new definition proposed. Some examples of criterion-referenced tests are examined and used to educe some general principles for the development of such tests. The utility of item form processes is assessed. It is suggested that the difficulty of…

Psychometric characteristics and factor structure of the Reading Comprehension Test (CR) and the Test of Critical Thinking, Form G (CT) were studied in an effort to determine basic dimensions of critical reading and critical thinking and to discover the relationship between these two. The two tests were administered to 57 Florida high-school…

In this study 34 (17 dependent, 17 competent) 4-year-old boys were chosen from a group of 165 children observed in 11 nurseries. An episode sampling technique was used to study patterned interactions with children, teachers, and observers. Each of the boys was observed in interaction with his mother and father by three observers in a…

Speech specialists have developed a taxonomy of concepts and abilities related to verbal argument as used in ordinary discourse. This study represents one possible step in the validation of that taxonomy: an evaluation of the Wisconsin Tests of Testimony and Reasoning Assessment (WISTTRA) and the underlying abilities or dimensions measured by…

Today's psychological measurement depends almost exclusively on the "standardized test." A certain amount of non-standardization, however, exists in the administration of any standardized test, with the amount unknown for any given test score. Time limits on tests pose a bigger problem since another variable is introduced, pressure. Test taking…

A list of 11 important characteristics of interest inventories is presented. Comparisons between interest inventories are difficult to make, and those responsible for making choices between inventories must be well-informed about the entire system. Therefore, the points are discussed in the order that a system is developed--from the item pool,…

The object of this project was to develop a culture-fair, nonverbal individual readiness test for disadvantaged preschool children. Two equivalent forms of the test were developed so that teachers could administer the first form to identify needs early in a preschool program, set up specific remedial programs for individuals, and use the second…

Intended for employers concerned about problem solving and communication within their organization, this document outlines a strategy for developing an instrument that would provide objective data rather than impressionistic data. A questionnaire was designed to explore the relationship between the central constructs of problem solving and…

This booklet was designed to provide inservice teachers with a self-contained manual for use in writing and/or improving classroom achievement tests. Following a preface and an introduction, the contents are divided into four sections: Practicality, preface and an introduction, the contents are divided into four sections: Practicality,…

This experiment was designed to assess the ability of item writers to construct truly parallel tests based on a "duplicate-construction experiment" in which Cronbach argues that if the universe description and sampling are ideally refined, the two independently constructed tests will be entirely equivalent, and that within the limits of item…

The monograph is a complete outline for a program designed to help English departments institute logical and fair procedures for grading student essays. The contents in this monograph include "Factors in Judgments of Writing Ability,""The Effect of Bias,""Measuring Improvement in Writing,""Personal vs Staff Grading,""Standard Scores for Test…

Improved differential assignment of Navy recruits to schools and jobs would be possible if a wider range of aptitudes and interests could be measured without unduly lengthening the time used in testing. The purpose of the study was to make a preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of a computerized item selection program, program sequin, for…

An instrument to measure various aspects of children's character, including self-esteem, altruism, and integrity or responsibility was developed. The 48-item test was given to 111 4- and 5-year-old Hawaiian children. Test reliability and factor structures were determined. The three factors are discussed. Further development is continuing;…

True-false achievement test items written by typical classroom teachers show about two-thirds of the discrimination of their multiple-choice test items. This is about what should be expected in view of the higher probability of chance success on the true-false items. However, at least half again as many true-false items as multiple-choice items…