Two studies are presented in this report. The first is titled "Empirical Studies of Multilevel Approaches to Test Development and Interpretation: Measuring Between-Group Differences in Instruction." Because of a belief that schooling does affect student achievement, researchers have questioned the empirical and measurement techniques…

An outline of strategies that can be used to diagnose and remediate the test-taking problems of nursing students has been adapted from an "Outline of Test-Wiseness Principles" conceived by J. Millman, C. H. Bishop, and R. Ebel. The outline consists of two parts: elements independent of the test constructor or test purpose, including time-using,…

Presented is an investigation of the item and factor characteristics which make up Forms 8, 9, and 10 of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Data on the ASVAB forms were collected from mulitary enlistment applications at 20 Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Stations. Item and factor analyses were conducted on samples equated…

A three-year study aimed at measuring the English speaking proficiency of Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) candidates on a direct basis is described. A variety of "semi-direct" testing formats (involving test stimuli delivered by tape recording and accompanying booklet, with examinee speech tape recorded for evaluation) were…

The preparation and use of an objective strength analysis report (OSAR) from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) are described. The OSAR was designed to answer two needs: (1) a format which allows the school to easily answer the question "which reading objectives need more emphasis and/or better materials or techniques in order to raise its…

This study describes the role of an advisory panel of minority educators in the development of the seventh edition of Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) and the second editions of Stanford Early School Achievement Test (SESAT) and Stanford Test of Academic Skills (TASK). Detailed information on the formation of this panel and the review process in…

A logistic model was used to generate data to serve as a proxy for an immediate retest from item responses to a fourth grade standardized reading comprehension test of 45 items. Assuming that the actual test may be considered a pretest and the proxy data may be considered a retest, the effect of regression was investigated using a percentage of…

Sixteen item statistics recommended for use in the development of criterion-referenced tests were evaluated. There were two major criteria: (1) practicability in terms of ease of computation and interpretation and (2) meaningfulness in the context of the development process. Most of the statistics were based on a comparison of performance changes…

The computer can assist test construction in the following four ways: (1) storage or banking of test items; (2) banking of item attributes; (3) test construction; and (4) test printing. Automated Item Banking (AIB) is a computerized item storage and test construction system which illustrates these capabilities. It was developed, implemented, and…

It is proposed that statistical tests for item bias, when they are based on the three-parameter logistic item characteristic curve, should begin by testing for differences in the third parameter, the pseudo-chance level or "guessing" parameter. Other item-bias studies that have not considered the third parameter are discussed. Asymptotic…

Undergraduates responded to an objective test in electronics and classified each item by domain (one of 14 topics covered in their text), and by type of knowledge (definition, fact, principle, or interpretation). These judgments were compared to their instructor's "standard" judgments. From these data, an index of item-domain divergence…

By means of computer simulation of test responses, the reliability of item analysis data and the accuracy of equating were examined for hypothetical samples of 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 subjects for two tests with 20 equating items plus 60 additional items on the same scale. Birnbaum's three-parameter logistic model was used for the simulation. The…

The ability of the Rasch model to provide item difficulties and achievement test scores which are invariant is studied. Data for the study were obtained from students in grades 3 through 7 who took the Sequential Tests of Educational Progress (STEP III) Reading and Mathematics Concepts tests during a spring norming study. Each test contained 50…

TO ENCOURAGE POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENTS TO READ PROPERLY AND CONTINUOUSLY, THE AUTHOR GIVES FREQUENT SHORT QUIZZES BASED ON THE ASSIGNED READINGS. FOR EASE IN ADMINISTRATION AND SCORING, HE USES MARK-SENSE CARDS, ON WHICH THE STUDENT MARKS DESIGNATED AREAS TO INDICATE HIS NUMBER AND HIS CHOICE OF ANSWERS. TO EMPHASIZE THE VALUE OF CONTINUED HIGH…

The Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) is a multiple-choice test of English for non-native speakers of English. It consists of two sections: listening comprehension and reading. There are 100 questions in each section. Separate scaled scores are provided for each section, the part score scales ranging from five to 495 and the…