The SCOPE Mathematics Achievement Test booklet for grade 5 presents 11 mathematical concepts with instructions for students to take the test with little or no teacher direction. Testing items include: writing number words; reading and writing numerals in sequence from 0.001 to 100,000; adding and subtracting whole numbers; multiplying up to four…

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…

In the answer-until-correct mode of multiple-choice testing, respondents are directed to continue choosing among the alternatives to each item until they find the correct response. There is no consensus as to how to convert the resulting pattern of responses into a measure because of two conflicting models of item response behavior. The first…

As one in a series of test item collections developed by the Assessment and Evaluation Unit of the Directorate of Studies, items are made available to teachers for the construction of unit tests or term examinations or as a basis for class discussion. Each collection was reviewed for content validity and reliability. The test items meet syllabus…

Ways in which the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) can be used to perform some Rasch analyses are described in detail. It is shown how SPSS and a set of item calibrations can be used to estimate person abilities, standard errors of measurement, test characteristic curve, test information curve, classification consistency on a…

A new system of order analysis, developed by Takeya and called Item Relations Structure Analysis (IRSA), was described and used for examining the structural relations among a set of 24 items on the addition and subtraction of fractions. A diagraph showing 16 chains of items that had discernibly common features was generated by this method, and…

Item banks offer a different approach to test development than that of the more traditional item specification method. This study was designed as an initial comparative investigation in the Area. Fourth grade math and reading tests were developed using both items written from item specifications and items drawn from an existing item bank. Four…

This study was conducted to test the effect of practice or adjunct questions on learning in a real-world training environment. Subjects were 289 males enrolled in a self-study Naval communications course. Subjects were assigned to one of three experimental groups which received workbooks, or to a control group which did not receive workbooks. The…

To test for item bias, it must be determined whether an item fits the model. Two approaches to defining bias within the framework of the Rasch model are examined. One compares within-group fit mean squares and the other utilizes a between-group fit statistic. Results from both approaches overlap somewhat, but are distinct in many different but…

The Program Analysis and Monitoring in Reading (PAM) package helps teachers and administrators anlayze, understand, and improve school reading programs by providing them with monitor reports and program reports. Both types of reports include results of student performance on tests of reading comprehension--the monitor report provides detailed…

The Tredyffrin/Easttown Sex Fairness Survey was designed to assess sex fairness in attitudes toward both sexes in work, home, educational, social, and other contexts. Each subscale contains positively and negatively worded Likert-type items of three types: trait to group; role to group; and judgment of individuals based on group. A preliminary…

A collection of 185 objectives and related test items for students studying auto mechanics in grades 10 through 12 is provided. Auto tune-up and repair skills are emphasized. The objectives are divided into two sections: objectives calling for demonstrations of the processes, and objectives requiring written responses. Most objectives contain…

The Test for Inquiry Social Studies (TISS) is a 40-item multiple-choice instrument designed to measure the application of either inquiry social studies or higher-level cognitive thinking skills in fifth and sixth graders. The test can generally be completed in 40 to 50 minutes. This administrator's guide contains information on the reliability,…

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…