This paper reports on a longitudinal study of the structural effects of grade retention on dropout rate and percent of graduates qualified. The study drew on computer simulation to explore the effects of retention and how this practice affects dropout rate, the percent of graduates who meet required standards, and enrollment itself. The computer…

In this paper, algorithms are described for obtaining the maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters in log-linear models. Modified versions of the iterative proportional fitting and Newton-Raphson algorithms are described that work on the minimal sufficient statistics rather than on the usual counts in the full contingency table. This is…

Effects of test length, sample size, and assumed ability distribution were investigated in a multiple replication Monte Carlo study under the 1-parameter (1P) and 2-parameter (2P) logistic graded model with five score levels. Accuracy and variability of item parameter and ability estimates were examined. Monte Carlo methods were used to evaluate…

The purpose of this study is to help define the precise nature and limits of the tolerable range in which a researcher may be relatively confident about the statistical validity of his or her research findings, focusing specifically on the statistical validity of results when violating the assumptions associated with the one-way, fixed-effects…

This report summarizes the roundtable on information technology which brought together leaders from business, government, the non-profit sector, and academia to explore the use of complex adaptive systems as a model for determining information technology's role in both the workplace and diverse societal settings. Topics covered in this document…

Rasch between and total weighted and unweighted fit statistics were compared using varying test lengths and sample sizes. Two test lengths (20 and 50 items) and three sample sizes (150, 500, and 1,000 were crossed. Each of the six combinations were replicated 100 times. In addition, power comparisons were made. Results indicated that there were no…

A population data set was randomly generated from which a random sample was drawn. This sample was randomly divided into two data sets, one of which was used to generate parameter estimates, which were then used in the second data set for cross-validation purposes. The best variable subset models were compared between the two data sets on the…

Training of active duty forces is a never-ending process beset with challenges and lessons. Despite the widely shared view that today's military forces are the best trained forces in the world, some common recurring weaknesses reinforce the need for a continuing emphasis on repetitive training if U.S. forces are to be prepared to fight and win the…

The use of paper and pencil, videotape recordings, and microcomputers in student testing provide three very different views of student achievement. Paper and pencil tests can record how students compose tests and documents, and how they critique documents or performances. Video recordings can record how students explain ideas, answer questions,…

This document reports an experiment designed to assess the effects of learner control over the level of challenge in computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and collect data that will guide the design of future learner control experiments. The subjects were 78 undergraduate students in the College of Education at a large public university. The CAI…

This simulation study involved the design of two two-stage tests in which the routing tests and the second-stage measurement testlets took the form of a multidimensional knapsack problem with prespecified target informations and constraints to be enumerated using the algorithm of E. Balas. Two conventional tests of similar length to the two-stage…

A two-stage study was conducted to compare the ability estimates yielded by tailored testing procedures based on the one-parameter logistic (1PL) and three-parameter logistic (3PL) models. The first stage of the study employed real data, while the second stage employed simulated data. In the first stage, response data for 3,000 examinees were…

Research was undertaken to develop an experimental computer-based training system and to conduct a number of experiments in dynamic skill training using the system. (Training for such tasks is distinguished from the teaching of fact systems, the training domain most heavily studied in CAI applications.) Based on the hypothesis that the attentional…

Suitable for use in a high school social studies course, this class game simulates the political interaction and general unrest in the nine-month period following the death of Tsar Nicholas II in Russia in 1917. Eight class groups take the roles of the leaders of the following political factions: the bourgeoisie, nobility, Socialist…

Designed for high school world history courses, this classroom simulation recreates the power politics within the Roman Republic between 120 B.C. and the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. Following an introduction which places the game in historical context, game preparation procedure is described. This includes assignment of Roman names, explanation of…