The development of a Spanish computerized adaptive placement test at Brigham Young University (Utah) is described. The test is based on an approach that locates an examinee's ability along a continuum of latent ability rather than determining the degree to which an individual's ability differs from the abilities of others taking the test, as in…

A study evaluated a composition grading scale used in the University of California at Los Angeles' program of English as a second language (ESL). It looked at (1) the comparative difficulty of the subscale categories; (2) the interrelationships of the subscale categories; (3) the incremental arrangement of the subscale categories and performance…

This study examined the objectivity, trainability, and reliability of the SRI observational system (developed at the Stanford Research Institute) as it was modified for use in the "A Study of Schooling" research project. Four instruments in the observation system were tested. The physical environment inventory recorded the architectural…

These studies in test adequacy focus on two problems: procedures for estimating reliability, and techniques for identifying ineffective distractors. Fourteen papers are presented on recent advances in measuring achievement (a response to Molenaar); "an extension of the Dirichlet-multinomial model that allows true score and guessing to be…

A study measured student awareness of a variety of reading and study skill elements: author attitude and bias, signal words, vocabulary, organizing to read, notetaking, mental imagery, and reading flexibility. It also established a reliability coefficient for the Survey of Study-Reading Habits instrument, a 15-item, 4-point Likert type scale…

The Methodology Inventory is a 76-item 4-point measure divided into eight scales designed to determine what behaviors a teacher engages in while teaching. The eight scales are stimuli for writing, prewriting, writing, revising/editing, evaluation, language development, varieties of discourse, and publication of written work. The instrument was…

This manuscript is a report of the third revision of the Maryland Preschool Self-Concept of Scale originally developed by Smith (1977). Two samples of 4-, 5-, and 6-year old children (N = 54 and N = 78) were administered the Maryland Preschool Self-Concept Scale - Revised (MPSS-R). In the first study, the measure was given twice, 3 to 5 weeks…

The research literature on oral achievement testing is reviewed, and advantages and disadvantages of oral tests are described. A number of suggestions are made for improving the objectivity, reliability, and validity of oral tests. The results of a survey of the attitudes and experiences of a selected sample of college students with regard to…

This study was designed to increase knowledge of the functioning of item bias techniques in detecting biased items. Previous studies have used computer-generated data or real data with unknown amounts of bias. The present project extends previous studies by using items that are logically generated and subjectively evaluated a priori to be biased…

An attempt to measure responsibility for the effects of careful or careless driving involved the development of a scale for driving locus of control (DLOC). An early version of the DLOC was given to 43 college students. Preliminary results indicated that test-retest reliability and internal consistency were high enough to warrant further…

The stability of annual normal curve equivalent (NCE) on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills over a period of six years was established in a previous study of status (position within a reference group). This study investigated the relationship between status stability and student achievement level. Third grade students in a suburban school district who…

The purposes of the present investigation were to examine the dimensionality of the Rotter Internal-External (I-E) scale, to test the invariance of its factor structure before and after an intervention designed to alter I-E, and to demonstrate the use of confirmatory factor analysis. An a priori model based on the content of the Rotter items…

The general purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of adapting the Means-Ends Problem-Solving procedure (MEPS) to the investigation of the individual's transition to parenthood. Specific purposes were to determine (1) the internal consistency of the Parent Problem-Solving Scale (PPSS), of its subclasses, and of a combined subscale;…

The Student Evaluation of Teaching instrument (SET) was administered in grades 4 through 12, to examine its construct validity and usefulness for grades 4 to 6. The original SET was developed for grades 7 to 12. This sample included 419 students in grades 4 to 6, and 612 students in grades 7 to 12. Teachers were graduates of Western Kentucky…

A study was conducted to assess the validity and reliability of R. Moss's "Classroom Analysis of Teachers' Theoretical Orientation to Reading" in order to provide an observation system specifically intended for assessing a teacher's reading instruction as a function of theoretical orientation. Five reading experts were chosen to…