To assess the effects of correlated abilities on test characteristics, and to explore the effects of correlated abilities on the use of a multidimensional item response theory model which does not explicitly account for such a correlation, two tests were constructed. One had two relatively unidimensional subsets of items, the other had all…

Instructional strategies for successfully teaching concepts are found throughout the instructional design literature. These strategies primarily consist of presenting learners with definitions, examples, and non-examples. While examples are important presentation instruments, theorist suggests that examples should not be re-used in the assessment…

A method of estimating the operating characteristics of a new test item added to an established test without assuming a prior model has been proposed by the author. In this paper, the author extends this logic by proposing a different hypothesized distribution of the resulting estimate. The former method used a normal approximation; the present…

Five comparisons were made relative to the quality of estimates of ability parameters and item calibrations obtained from the one-parameter and three-parameter logistic models. The results indicate: (1) The three-parameter model fit the test data better in all cases than did the one-parameter model. For simulation data sets, multi-factor data were…

Using a text semantic framework, a two-year study examined the process by which readers construct meanings from standardized reading comprehension tests used as texts. The text analytic system described "ideal reader" interpretations of texts, allowing comparisons with real reader interpretations. Specific analyses described the ideal…

Evidence exists that reading achievement can be measured simply and validly by having students read aloud for one minute from vocabulary lists drawn from their basal reading series. Direct and frequent measurement of student performance using this procedure provides a means for continuously evaluating a student's instructional program. The present…

The two-parameter graded response latent trait model was applied under various conditions to two simulation data sets and to data obtained from a Likert-type attitude scale. The purpose was to investigate the invariance property of the item and person parameter estimates for polychotomously scored data. Correlation and regression analyses, as well…

This fifty item multiple choice test was developed by Portland Public Schools, Maine, to assess middle school students' understanding of the concepts presented in the "Responsibility" unit of the "Law in a Free Society" materials published by the California Bar Association. These materials deal with eight concepts for…

Research on the Rasch model of test and item analysis was applied to tests constructed from item banks for reading and mathematics with respect to five practical problems for scaling items and equating test forms. The questions were: (1) Does the Rasch model yield the same scale value regardless of the student sample? (2) How many students are…

A previously published discussion of the ACER "Australian Studies in School Performance" suggests that the performance of students constitutes a concern; however, it is possible to be encouraged by evidence from the study that 97% of 10 year olds and 99% of 14 year olds have mastered the abilities to understand simple written sentences.…

This instructional guide presents a comprehensive job-seeking model which uses an open-ended approach to teaching job-seeking skills. Instructors are encouraged to adapt the suggested lessons, worksheets, and other teaching/learning activities to fit their unique situations. The guide is primarily intended for those students who will be seeking…

A new approach to item analysis, concerned not only with differences among individuals, but also differences among the groups in which the individuals may have membership, is described. This multi-level aspect may be applied to studies of differences among individuals, classes, and schools, depending upon the kind of problem being studied and the…

Two experiments used two 2 x 3 x 2 (instructors x test forms x class times) designs to compare three aspects of student performance (mean final examination scores, homogeneity of variance, and retake frequencies) on three test forms. The test items on the three forms were arranged in three ways: (1) forward--items paralleled the presentation of…

The viewpoint is expressed that adding to test reliability by either selecting a more homogeneous set of items, restricting the range of item difficulty as closely as possible to the most efficient level, or increasing the number of items will not add to test validity and that there is considerable danger that efforts to increase reliability may…

The cognitive approach to education and instruction is discussed, with a focus upon achievement test question processing. A model of multiple-choice processing is discussed and used to develop a proposed model of recall processing. Each model is tested by the means of investigating the use of retrieval cues in processing each type of question. The…