Presents a general mathematical model for measuring the factors which directly and indirectly affect the costs of maintaining a clinical education program in a hospital's allied health department. Specific application of the model to a physical therapy department deomonstrates how an institution can measure the costs of education on a per student…

The accuracy of estimation of the subjects' latent ability maintained by tailoring for each testee the order of item presentation and the border of item dichotomization was compared to the information provided by the original graded test items. (RC)

Presents a structural supply/demand model for enrollment places in parochial schools and uses it to evaluate alternative voucher policy designs. Uses the model's estimated parameters to simulate effects of differently sized and targeted vouchers on public and private school attendance, districts' fiscal status, and public educational costs.…

Reports on the graphing work of children, aged eight and nine years, who have access to portable computers across the curriculum. Describes two learning sequences: in one, the children collected data and then explored the computer graphing facilities; and in the other, graphing is used iteratively as an integral part of the ongoing task.…

A salary-growth model is presented as a practical solution to the problem of compensating teachers equitably. An empirical validation using data from 24,785 California teachers, 15,233 Ohio teachers, and 5,489 South Carolina teachers demonstrates the general applicability of the model. A scenario for model use is presented. (SLD)

Discussed is the place and teaching of trigonometry in a NCTM Standards-based mathematics curriculum. Presented is how these standards can be implemented in a technology-rich environment that encourages reasoning, communication, problem solving, and confidence building. Examples focus on functions, graphical sense, modeling, and identities. (KR)

The quadratic function can be modeled in real life by a suspension bridge that supports a uniform weight. This activity uses concrete models and computer generated graphs to discover the mathematical model of the shape of the main cable of a suspension bridge. (MDH)

Concrete experience should be a first step in the development of new abstract concepts and their symbolization. Presents concrete activities based on Hyde and Nelson's work with egg cartons and Steiner's work with money to develop students' understanding of partitive division when using fractions. (MDH)

Validity evidence for a new instrument, the Situation-Response Measure of Achievement Motivation for analyzing cross-situational consistency of achievement-related behavior, is presented in a study of 246 college students. Exploratory factor analysis indicates the presence of two factors, striving and apprehensiveness. (SLD)

The effectiveness of alternative procedures to correct for rater leniency/stringency effects was studied when true scores were known. Ordinary least squares, weighted least squares, and imputation of the missing data consistently outperformed averaging the observed ratings; and the imputation technique was superior to the least squares methods.…

The need for scale linking in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is discussed, and the specific procedures used to carry out the linking in the context of the major analyses of the 1990 NAEP mathematics assessment are described. Issues remaining to be addressed are outlined. (SLD)

Results of empirical validation studies of six statistical models available for indirectly estimating the need for alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services across a large geographic area are presented. Models were evaluated using Colorado Social Health Survey data for 4,745 adults from 48 subareas of Colorado. (SLD)

A nonparametric multicategorical model for multiple-choice data is proposed as an extension of the binary spline model of J. O. Ramsay and M. Abrahamowicz (1989). Results of two Monte Carlo studies illustrate the model, which approximates probability functions by rational splines. (SLD)

A method for analyzing test-item responses is proposed to examine differential item functioning (DIF) in multiple-choice items within the latent class framework. Different models for detection of DIF are formulated, defining the subgroup as a latent variable. An efficient estimation method is described and illustrated. (SLD)

Calculating the reliability of a testlet-based test is demonstrated using data from 1,812 males and 2,216 females taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test verbal section and 3,866 examinees taking another reading test. Traditional reliabilities calculated on reading comprehension tests constructed of four testlets provided substantial overestimates.…