When investigating differences between two sets of scores, the t test is appropriate. If the two sets of data are from two groups of subjects, then the independent t test is appropriate. If the two sets are from the same subjects, the dependent t test is required. In this paper, the authors describe the use of a third test when part of a data set…

This mathematical model is intended to be a tool for the monitoring of the bargaining process and to provide the ability to predict the form of bargaining outcomes given certain initial conditions. It applies to situations in organizations in which the conflict between the expressed desires of interest groups are settled by a bargaining process…

A coherent system of decision making is described that may be incorporated into an instructional sequence to provide a supplement to the experience-based judgment of the classroom teacher. The elements of this decision process incorporate prior information such as a teacher's past experience, experimental results such as a test score, and…

The study of the dynamics of physical systems is of importance to all engineering students. LSSP, a Linear System Simulation Program, is used to study the behavior of physical phenomena and systems which may be represented to a good degree of approximation by linear models. Emphasis is placed upon the unity resulting from the mathematical…

Four recent indices emphasizing the interrelationships of score distribution shape, modality, mean, and variance were investigated to determine the reliability of mastery tests. Attention was focused on the values of the indices when the cutoff score was near to or far from the modes of distribution. Five types of score distributions were…

This paper, one of three related documents, explains a model for school finance in Michigan. First, it analyzes where school districts get their money and how they spend it. Next, it details a financial model that identifies the factors related to staff adequacy levels, estimates the strength of those factors, offers ideas for the components of a…

The relationship between transformation problem performance and Guilford Structure of Intellect (SI) abilities is explored. During two group sessions 42 females and 35 males, age 18-39, were administered 12 Guilford SI tests exemplifying all five symbolic content (numeric) operations, and three contents in the divergent production area. Logical…

An objective method based on the likelihood ratio procedure is presented for use in selecting a measurement model from among the RASCH, 2-parameter and 3-parameter logistic latent trait models. The procedure may be applied in a straightforward manner to aid in choosing between the 2-parameter and the Rasch models. When choosing between the 3- and…

The ratio technique, requiring only simple arithmetic calculations, uses historical information as a basis for projecting school enrollment. In the author's survey of state education agencies, 84 percent of the respondents indicated that they used a ratio technique. This study reviews four different approaches to use of the ratio method in…

This paper examines the effects of learning time on student achievement. It begins by reviewing what is known about how time is allocated and utilized in schools and the effects of differing amounts of exposure to schooling on achievement. Several theoretical perspectives concerning how time spent affects achievement are briefly discussed. The…

From the systems point of view, the objectives of higher education cannot be defined apart from the economic and social context in which the university operates. The report presents the results of a 4-year research project during which a mathematical model was developed to describe the way in which the university, as part of a socioeconomic…

This paper is concerned with memory functions in sequentially structured behavior. Twenty-five 4- and 5-year-old preschool children participated in a prediction experiment in which a stack of cards (each card alternately having a patch of red or green tape on it) was displayed to the child. The child was presented with a card and asked to predict…

A randomization model appropriate for evaluating priority effects in free recall (i.e., whether "new" items are recalled prior to "old" items) is discussed and related to well-known nonparametric significance tests. Since the bases for the measures that have been suggested in the psychological literature may be interpreted…

A method of interpolation has been derived that should be superior to linear interpolation in computing the percentile ranks of test scores for unimodal score distributions. The superiority of the logistic interpolation over the linear interpolation is most noticeable for distributions consisting of only a small number of score intervals (say…

A measure of the usefulness of a pass/fail testing decision procedure is the ratio of the utility of the given procedure to the utility of a procedure based on knowledge of scores on a criterion measure. It is computed from scores for a representative sample of persons tested. Utility functions may be specified by the test user or set by…