In latent trait theory the latent space, or space of the hypothetical construct, is usually represented by some unidimensional or multi-dimensional continuum of real numbers. Like the latent space, the item response can either be treated as a discrete variable or as a continuous variable. Latent trait theory relates the item response to the latent…

Data from three subtests (language, mathematics, and social) scales of the Head Start Measures Battery (HSMB) were analyzed using principal components analysis (PCA) and non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS). The HSMB measures preschool development in language, mathematics, nature and science, perception, reading, and social development. The…

A method for equating test scores between two standardized achievement testing programs was developed. The first test was the Survey of Basic Skills (SBS) published by Science Research Associates. The second was the Tests of Individual Performance (TIP) of the Portland Public Schools in Oregon. Scores reported in Rasch units (RIT) from the TIP…

By means of a survey of secondary school principals, whose schools are members of the East Texas School Study Council, a regional cooperative of over 80 schools in the North East Texas area, this study sought to determine the desired and existing roles of the principals in dealing with the adolescent suicide problem. The study also identified the…

By using a path analytic model, this study seeks to determine the relationship of school organizational stressors to teacher stress in public high schools. The model included three stress variables (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and degree of personal accomplishment), seven organizational health characteristics, a motivational variable,…

The linking of research and action, basic methods of social research, and the uses of research in distance teaching are examined, with examples drawn from the Lesotho Distance Teaching Centre and other distance teaching programs. Ways in which research can be useful and early stages of research design and planning are discussed. An explanation of…

This research illustrates how statistical analysis of data was presented by the plaintiff's attorneys as evidence in litigation involving sexual and racial discrimination in the case Green v. City of Gadsden. Bar graphs depict the sexual and racial compositions of (1) members of the Gadsden Police Department (GPD), (2) members of the GPD in…

The main article in this issue is a report on "Salaries and Expenditures of Illinois Special Libraries, 1983," based on 366 usable responses to a mail questionnaire. Data on 14 variables (including 4 aspects of salaries) are cross-analyzed by 6 factors: geographical area, person to whom head librarian reports, sex of head librarian, size…

The DeKalb County School System, Georgia, has developed a unique leadership assessment program geared toward professional improvement through staff development based on assessed needs. The following three elements of this approach contribute to its uniqueness and address the three most common problems associated with assessments: (1) the…

The Research Services of the National Education Association (NEA) conducted a nationwide teacher opinion poll (TOP) based upon a stratified disproportionate two-state cluster sample of classroom teachers. This research study was conducted to test the hypothesis that the order of presentation of items would make no difference in the conclusions…

The feasibility of using item response theory (IRT) as a psychometric model for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Aptitude Test was addressed by assessing the reasonableness of the assumptions of item response theory for GRE item types and examinee populations. Items from four forms and four administrations of the GRE Aptitude Test were…

A formal analysis is presented of the effects of item deletion on equating/scaling functions and reported score distributions. The phrase "item deletion" refers to the process of changing the original key of a flawed item to either all options correct, including omits, or to no options correct, i.e., not scoring the flawed item. There…

Recent research by Coleman, Hoffer, and Kilgore on the effectiveness of public and private schools may be seriously flawed because of its neglect of input-level differences in student performance and its reliance on cross-sectional testing data as the criterion measure. The sample used by Coleman and his colleagues from the High School and Beyond…

A quantitative method developed at Stanford University that addresses programmatically the short- and long-term needs of the college physical plant is discussed. The approach allows the administrator to accurately assess funding resources for the maintenance program in conjunction with academic and construction programs. A special task force at…

Examples of the use of a mathematical model to evaluate the future renewal and replacement, or maintenance requirements, of the college physical plant are provided. The model, which was developed at Stanford University, simulates actual conditions at a specific location and allows resource allocation to be based on a definable quantitative base.…