This study demonstrates and discusses a new procedure for performing item analysis which utilizes multiple discriminant analysis to establish efficiently and effectively an index of item validity. Application of this statistical technique to data derived from an attitude survey of three groups of students enrolled in technical training courses…

The New York State Department of Civil Service investigated an empirical application of the Rasch model which appears useful in Civil Service testing. The model is a powerful tool for developing insights into what test items are measuring while permitting the investigator to spot defective items. It also reveals meaningful distinctions in the type…

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the functions of the county vocational education director in California as perceived by selected groups of vocational education leaders. The functions were limited to the service responsibilities of the position, exclusive of its administrative responsibilities for the improvement of instruction. An…

The purpose of this study was to establish score equivalencies between the College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and its Spanish language equivalent, the College Board Prueba de Aptitud Academica (PAA). For the first phase, two sets of items, one originally appearing in Spanish and the other in English, were chosen; and each set was…

It has been shown that Guttman weighting of test options results in marked increases in the internal consistency of a test. However, the effect of this type of weighting on the structure of the test is not known. Hence, the purpose of this study is to compare the factor structure of Guttman-weighted and rights-only-weighted tests and to relate the…

TO AID IN THE GUIDANCE OF YOUNG PEOPLE INTERESTED IN SPECIALIZING IN OFF-FARM AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS, A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY ITEMS THAT WOULD REVEAL INTEREST PATTERNS OF SUCCESSFULLY EMPLOYED ADULTS IN THE FIVE AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATION FIELDS OF PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE, ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURE, AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS, AGRICULTURAL…

Describes development of a scale for measuring fourth graders' attitudes toward various ethnic or cultural groups. Reviews item analysis, scale discrimination, analysis for unidimensionality, and reliability. Presents the scale in an appendix. (AV)

Despite differences in origin and orientation, Piagetian theory and criterion referenced measurement share a general purpose--that of diagnosing human behavior. Beginning with a review of both perspectives, this paper illustrates their highly comparable natures and indicates how they could be used together to improve student evaluation. (Author/…

Providing examinees with advanced knowledge of the difficulty of an item led to an increase in test performance with no loss of reliability. This finding was consistent across several test formats. ( Author/JKS)

An analysis of self-report delinquency data using four non-metric procedures for structural analysis revealed support for the existence of a general delinquency factor. However, offenses of low seriousness and victimless offenses (drinking and drug-taking items) were only weakly related to this general factor. (Author/CTM)

Factor analyses of a 75-item self-report Academic Motivations Inventory produced a set of nine interpretable dimensions which partially summarize an academic motivation domain and which can be measured with adequate reliability. The factors are discussed in relation to prior studies of the structure of academic motivation, and further research is…

Describes the rationale for and the development of an instrument that provides scales to measure five school related constructs of self concept at three school levels and cites information regarding the factorial validity of each scale based on the derived data. (Author/DEP)

This study examined whether the item response curves from a two-parameter model reflected characteristics of the mathematics items, each of which required unique cognitive tasks. A computer program performed error analysis of test performance. Cognitive subtasks appeared to influence the slopes and difficulties of item response curves. (GDC)

To determine which produced the most accurate item parameter estimates, four methods of item response theory were evaluated: (1) heuristic estimates; (2) the ANCILLES program; (3) the LOGIST program; and (4) the ASCAL program. LOGIST and ASCAL produced estimates of superior and essentially equivalent accuracy. (SLD)

Intercorrelations among multiple true-false items were examined to determine to what extent each choice can be treated as independent. Results from 157 health science and 170 medical students indicated that correlations between options from the same stem were larger than those from different stems. Methods for computing reliability estimates were…