Discusses the methodological requirements for valid inferences from school-effectiveness research studies, which include long-term longitudinal data and proper statistical modelling of hierarchical data structures. Explains problems with using simple performance indicators to measure school effectiveness. Outlines appropriate multilevel…

Presents a utility model for academic department decision making and describes the structural specifications for analyzing it. The model confirms the class-size utility asymmetry predicted by the authors' academic rachet theory, but shows that marginal utility associated with college teaching loads is always negative. Curricular structure and…

Presents four activities that use graphing calculators, spreadsheets, and graphing software to model population growth. (MKR)

Describes a study of preservice teachers (N=30) that provides confirming evidence that students usually use two rational number operator constructs. Discusses the cognitive models of the students' strategies and the notational system used as an analytical tool. Contains 22 references. (DDR)

Reports on the observed actions of prospective Swedish secondary mathematics teachers as they were working in a modeling situation. Discusses the way the students tackled the modeling situation and their strategies and attitudes as well as the difficulties in assessing mathematical modeling performance. (KHR)

Explains an application of mathematical modeling within a school setting as well as progressive use of graphing calculators in mathematical modeling. Analyzes students' performances in the process of problem-solving using the problem of baton-passing in relay races. Discusses students' use of their mathematical knowledge and ideas when they used…

Summarizes the current state of the art in test construction and contrasts it with previous conceptual models, some of which are wrong or misleading. New methodologies for item selection and review are presented, with current thinking on the specification of technical characteristics of tests. (Author/SLD)

Illustrates a modeling approach used by Singapore educators to teach mathematical skills and concepts in a problem-solving environment. (Contains 11 references.) (YDS)

Presents an activity in which students predict the growth of the population of the United Stated using three different models. (Author/NB)

Discusses a team-oriented formal testing method used in a mathematical modeling course taught during the Alma College intensive spring term. Asks the question, If a collaborative teaching method is used, how does one assess students' acquisition of problem-solving and mathematical-thinking skills? (Author/MM)

Loglinear latent class models are used to detect differential item functioning (DIF). Likelihood ratio tests for assessing the presence of various types of DIF are described, and these methods are illustrated through the analysis of a "real world" data set. (TJH)

Reports on a test of the applicability of the theory of General Scalability to documents in terms of transitivity, substitutability, and independence. Implications for the construction of test collections in information retrieval research are examined. (24 references) (EAM)

Standard procedures for estimating item parameters in item response theory ignore collateral information that may be available about examinees. Circumstances under which collateral information about examinees may be used to make inferences about item parameters more precise and circumstances under which collateral information must be used are…

The effect of large, within-examinee item difficulty variability on estimates of the proportion of consistent classification of examinees into mastery categories was studied over 2 test administrations for 100 simulated examinees. The proportion of consistent classifications was adequately estimated using the technique proposed by M. Subkoviak…

The utility of the fail-safe "N" statistic was evaluated by computing it for studies in three organizational research domains in which discrepant conclusions were reached by initial and subsequent meta-analyses. Calculation of the fail-safe "N" may have led to more cautious interpretations. Implications for meta-analyses are…