This project sought to develop a set of tests for the assessment of the basic literacy and occupational cognizance of pupils in those public elementary and secondary schools, including vocational schools, receiving services through Federally supported educational programs and projects. The assessment is to produce generalizable average scores for…

The concept of scaled achievement tests is discussed and a method of selecting those items of a test that form the most scalable (i.e., having the highest coefficient of reproducibility) subset is presented. Sometimes called a monotonic-deterministic model, this type of test assumes that the test items may be sequentially ordered. To determine the…

An attempt is made to explore the use of subjective probabilities in the analysis of item data, especially criterion-referenced item data. Two assumptions are implicit: (1) one wants to obtain a maximum amount of information with respect to an item using a minimum number of subjects; and (2) once the item is validated, it may well be administered…

Four applications of ordering theory analysis in the formative evaluation of an instructional program which is being developed for retarded children are described. Data from the pilot-testing of this program demonstrated two uses of ordering theory directly related to the formative evaluation of instruction: the testing of hypothesized…

Several criteria for assessing bias in educational tests are presented and discussed. These criteria were developed in accordance with basic notions of fairness, equality, and expanded life options for women. In terms of prescriptions for test developers, the criteria are: (1) tests should be constructed of items which contain either no sex…

An approach for clearer observation of differences when evaluating educational programs is presented. The standardized tests utilized in evaluating programs are designed to measure topics commonly taught and to maximize individual differences. This masks between-program differences and the unique aspects of different programs. Analysis of item…

This report contains an interpretive analysis of individual test items used in the 1973 Wisconsin State Mathematics Assessment at grades 3 and 7. The sampling procedures, organization, interpretation of data, limitations, and useful definitions of the test, and test results are discussed. The analysis includes an evaluation of each test item and…

The reading assessment undertaken by the Department of Public Instruction in May 1973 was a pilot study. As such its primary purpose was to provide information for future assessment instruments, administration procedures, sampling procedures, and data analysis alternatives. Thus, this document contains a critical examination of the pilot…

The general purpose of this study was to determine the effects of similarities between stems and keyed choices on test difficulty. Unlike previous investigations of this undesirable characteristic of some multiple-choice items, the present study employed items that were unintentionally faulty and samples of examinees who were highly experienced…

The primary purpose of this study was to obtain estimates of the human attribute requirements of the job elements of the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ). A secondary purpose was to explore the reliability of job-related ratings as a function of the number of raters. A taxonomy of 76 human attributes was used and ratings of the relevance of…

This is one of a series of reports on the National Longitudinal Study of Mathematical Abilities (NLSMA). This report is a discussion of many of the programs from the SMSG Computer Program Library as it existed in June, 1972. Major programs included involve item analysis, attitude item analysis, scale scoring, correlation and t-test, stepwise…

Measurement properties of the written rules tests were examined to determine their suitability for assessing driver knowledge and skill. It was concluded that the tests, as measurement tools for granting or renewing a driver's license, were not adequate. Recommendations for test improvement and a sample test copy are included. (AG)

The current emphasis on objectives and test item banks for constructing more effective tests is being augmented by increasingly sophisticated computer software. Items can be catalogued in numerous ways for retrieval. The items as well as instructional objectives can be stored and test forms can be selected and printed by the computer. It is also…

Data required for evaluating a Criterion Referenced Measurement (CRM) is described with a matrix. The information within the matrix consists of the "pass-fail" decisions of two CRMs. By differentially defining these two CRMs, different concepts of reliability and validity can be examined. Indices suggested for analyzing the matrix are listed with…

This paper describes and evaluates a new abstract form of the Purdue Elementary Problem-Solving Inventory. The new test parallels a shortened form of the original Inventory, but presents problems verbally rather than through slides. Both forms were given to advantaged and disadvantaged second- and fourth-graders. For the total sample, the slide…