Analyses of reports of patients' problematic concerns indicated, among other things, that patients and therapists generally agreed when concerns were present or absent in therapy session, but differed in interpretive emphasis. (CK)

In tailored testing, it is important to determine the optimal difficulty of the next item to be presented to the examinee. It is shown that the difference that maximizes information for the three-parameter normal ogive response model is greater than the optimal difference for the three-parameter logistic model. (Author/JKS)

The dependence of item discrimination index (D) on item difficulty index (p), and the relationship of D and p to the phi coefficient are delineated. A table of critical values of D significant at the .10 and .05 levels, with p ranging from .10 to .90, is presented. (Author/CTM)

This paper provides practical guidance for researchers who are designing studies that randomize groups to measure the impacts of interventions on children. To do so, the paper: (1) provides new empirical information about the values of parameters that influence the precision of impact estimates (intra-class correlations and R-squares); (2)…

A new report, "The Proficiency Illusion," released last year by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute states that the tests that states use to measure academic progress under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) are creating a false impression of success, especially in reading and especially in the early grades. The report is a collaboration…

Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis can be used to great advantage in second language (L2) assessments. This study examined the differences in performance on L2 test items between groups from different first language backgrounds and suggested ways of improving L2 assessments. The study examined DIF on L2 (Hebrew) test items for two…

The properties of the achievement goal inventories developed by Grant and Dweck (2003) and Elliot and McGregor (2001) were evaluated in two studies with a total of 780 participants. A four-factor specification for the Grant and Dweck inventory did not closely replicate results published in their original report. In contrast, the structure of the…

The current study compared student performance between paper-and-pencil testing (PPT) and computer-based testing (CBT) on a large-scale statewide end-of-course English examination. Analyses were conducted at both the item and test levels. The overall results suggest that scores obtained from PPT and CBT were comparable. However, at the content…

This paper describes the validation of a self-evaluation instrument for teachers in secondary education to solicit feedback from their pupils regarding specific aspects of the teacher's practice in class. This 92-item instrument--Teachers Learn from Pupils-Secondary Education (TLP-SE)--assesses 10 relevant classroom environment dimensions:…