The results of a small research project that studied the effect computer administration has on student performance for writing or essay tests are presented. The introduction of computer-administered tests has raised concern about the equivalence of scores generated by computer versus paper-and-pencil test versions. For this study a sample of…

The degree to which laptop and standard-size desktop computers are likely to produce comparable test results for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test was studied. Verbal, quantitative, and writing sections of a retired version of the GRE were used, since it was expected that performance on reading passages or mathematics items might…

This document summarizes the statewide assessment programs required by the Maryland State Department of Education and the exemptions, excuses, and accommodations permitted for each program. All students are to be included to the fullest extent possible in the mandated state assessments. The accommodations for an individual student are meant to…

An alternative to multiple-choice testing is suggested for educational assessment. The use of what is called "multiple-rating items" is proposed. A multiple-rating item calls for the examinee to rate all of a set of things instead of picking one as with a multiple-choice item. The respondent has to provide a specific rating of each…

This study investigated potential problems associated with one method of testing English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) skills in work settings in foreign countries. The method, used by the Australian government to assess speech skills of individuals in locations outside Australia, involves having native English-speakers carry out a series of oral…

Practical and effective methods for detecting copying of multiple-choice test responses have been available for many years. These methods have been used routinely by large admissions and licensing testing programs. However, these methods are seldom applied in the areas of standardized or classroom testing in schools or colleges, and knowledge…

Practical curriculum issues faced by the school administrator are addressed in this guidebook. Chapter 1 examines the function of curriculum in schools and describes the three forms of curricula: formal, informal, and hidden. These forms appear as written, taught, and tested curricula. Chapter 2 develops a template for curriculum content. The…

Theoretical issues underlying the development of scales of language proficiency are examined. First, a brief classification of scale types is presented, and problems identified in them and advantages they offer are outlined. Discussion then moves to the issues of describing and measuring language proficiency. In this section, behaviorally-based…

From primary grades, students are exposed to both standardized and classroom tests. While teacher-made classroom tests may contain multiple choice, constructed response, or essay items, standardized tests, on the other hand, primarily rely on the multiple-choice format. Standardized tests are easy and inexpensive to administer and score, amenable…

Standardized college-level tests of thinking have serious drawbacks, but they can be used effectively to compare results with other teachers or researchers and to suggest possible ways of measuring aspects of thinking in faculty-constructed tests. Faculty-designed tests should provide opportunities for students to use the important knowledge and…

In an exploration of customizing the Major Field Achievement Test in Political Science (MFATPS), developed by the Educational Testing Service, a questionnaire was sent to the heads of political science and joint departments which offer a bachelor's degree in Political Science. A total of 1,017 departments were surveyed in January 1990; 293…

Authentic measurement has become an important topic recently in educational testing. Advocates of authentic measurement feel that objective tests, multiple-choice tests in particular, cannot meet the demands required of today's tests and should be replaced by tests that can be closely matched to instruction and can assess higher-order cognitive…

As part of a study of teacher evaluation of student replies to open-ended questions, a second question--the best method of determining interrater reliability--was examined. The standard method, the Pearson Product-Moment correlation, overestimated the degree of match between researchers' and teachers' scoring of tests. The simpler percent…

Appropriateness measurement is a general approach to the problem caused by multiple choice tests failing to measure accurately the ability of atypical examinees. The conceptual framework of appropriateness measurement is presented, and several statistical indices of the appropriateness of a multiple choice test for an examinee are noted. A series…

Reasons why there are few incentives for test publishers to make significant innovations in what is tested or how it is tested are given. A brief discussion of research on growth spurts in the brain, hemispheric differences, and other neurological phenomena is followed by a discussion of some conclusions drawn from this work. While skepticism is…