Person-fit methods are used to uncover atypical test performance as reflected in the pattern of scores on individual items in a test. Unlike parametric person-fit statistics, nonparametric person-fit statistics do not require fitting a parametric test theory model. This study investigates the effectiveness of generalizations of nonparametric…

Standard least squares analysis of variance methods suffer from poor power under arbitrarily small departures from normality and fail to control the probability of a Type I error when standard assumptions are violated. This article describes a framework for robust estimation and testing that uses trimmed means with an approximate degrees of…

Student responses to a large number of constructed response items in three Math and three Reading tests were scored on two occasions using three ways of assigning raters: single reader scoring, a different reader for each response (item-specific), and three readers each scoring a rater item block (RIB) containing approximately one-third of a…

The hierarchical latent regression model (HLRM) is a flexible framework for estimating group-level proficiency while taking into account the complex sample designs often found in large-scale educational surveys. A complex assessment design in which information is collected at different levels (such as student, school, and district), the model also…

Reliability Analysis for the Internationally Administered 2002 Series GED (General Educational Development) Tests Reliability refers to the consistency, or stability, of test scores when the authors administer the measurement procedure repeatedly to groups of examinees (American Educational Research Association [AERA], American Psychological…

Secondary data analysis as a methodological approach is not without its critics. Indeed, three main objections to the use of secondary data analysis in social research stand out: first that because of the socially constructed nature of social data, the act of reducing it to a simple numeric form cannot fully encapsulate its complexity. Secondly,…

In this report, the authors describe the value-added models used as part of teacher evaluation systems in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and in eligible DC charter schools participating in Race to the Top. They estimated (1) teacher effectiveness in DCPS and eligible DC charter schools during the 2011-2012 school year; and (2)…

While the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has conducted surveys of attrition and mobility among school teachers for two decades, little was known about similar movements among school principals. In order to inform discussions and decisions among policymakers, researchers, and parents, the 2008-09 Principal Follow-up Survey (PFS)…

This report provides national data on the availability and use of educational technology among teachers in public elementary and secondary schools during the winter and spring of 2009. The data are the results of a national teacher-level survey that is one of a set that includes district, school, and teacher surveys on educational technology.…

Examined the standard error for short forms of Wechsler's scales with deviant subjects (N=2000). Demonstrated that the standard error of estimate of a short form for the standardization sample is an excellent approximation to the standard error of a predicted IQ for a new, even markedly deviant, subject. (LLL)

This paper suggests that although data from a homogenous sample might yield less reliable scores than did an inducted sample, these data should not be discarded until further examination of the data is conducted. The paper presents two statistics for monitoring data homogeneity and one statistic for correcting alpha when homogeneity is large. The…

This paper reviews the concept of experimentwise Type I error. While "testwise" alpha refers to the probability of making a Type I error for a single hypothesis test, "experimentwise" error refers to the probability of having made a Type I error anywhere within the study. Experimentwise error concerns are the basis for two…

Provides procedures for determining identified parameters, finding constraints on the covariances, and checking equivalence in acyclic (recursive) linear path models with correlated error terms (disturbances) by inspection of the path equations, aided by simple recursions. (SLD)

Derives the asymptotic standard errors and intercorrelations for several matrix correlations assuming multivariate normality for manifest variables and derives the asymptotic standard errors of the matrix correlations for two factor-loading matrices. (SLD)

Developed a family wise approach for evaluating the significance of copying indices designed to hold the Type I error rate constant for each examinee. Examined the Type I error rate and power of two indices under a variety of copying situations. Results indicate the superiority of a family wise definition of Type I error rate over a pair-wise…