This document contains three papers from the Methodology Project of the Center for the Study of Evaluation. Methods for characterizing test accuracy are reported in the first two papers. "Bounds on the K Out of N Reliability of a Test, and an Exact Test for Hierarchically Related Items" describes and illustrates how an extension of a…

Two studies were conducted to examine the efficacy of direct measurement, standardized achievement tests, and aptitude-achievement discrepancy scores in distinguishing learning disabled (LD) and nonlearning disabled (NLD) students in grades 3 to 6. For both reading (Study I) and written expression (Study II), students' scores on direct and…

Two psychometric approaches for the investigation of item bias were employed to examine the performance of four sociocultural groups on six subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised (WISC-R). The sample of 950 students was from Pima County, Arizona. One approach involved the comparison of the psychometric indices of…

It has been suggested that a procedure based on the logic of Bayesian probabilities would make it possible to assess individual differences in stereotyping. Given the possible advantages of using the McCauley and Stitt (1978) procedures to measure individual differences, three groups of college students were tested to see if they would use Bayes…

The relationship of affective variables and types of exposure to second language learning was investigated along with the validity of a questionnaire on attitudes toward English. The affective questionnaire, exposure indices, and tests of English proficiency were administered to 403 Chinese, Japanese, and Thai university students who had studied…

Educators are called upon to improve the quality of classroom tests to enhance the learning of content. Less faculty concern for tests than for other features of instruction, compounded by a lack of knowing how to assess different levels of learning with test questions that measure complex processes, appear to generate poor quality classroom…

The purpose of this paper is to describe a specific method of measuring fathers' childrearing involvement. The conceptual scheme underlying the method addresses involvement in routine child care, play with the child, and school-related interactions. Measures involved the father's share of childrearing (as compared with the mother's) and the…

An overview is presented of the current status of competency testing for teacher certification. The question of the effect of certification tests on the quality of hired teachers is briefly discussed. Statistics are presented on types of tests used by various states, with particular attention to differences in the cut-off scores for passage of a…

This investigation examines the impact the l98l Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test Format Revision had on the stability over time of the verbal, quantitative, and analytical scores. Scores were used from the self-selected group of repeaters who took the GRE General Test twice between October 1980 and June 1982. Examinees were divided…

Recent information from established testing programs was used to investigate the nature and limitations of essay and multiple-choice tests of writing ability, the statistical relationship of these types of tests, the performance of population subgroups on each, the possible need of different disciplines for different tests of composition skill,…

This study was designed to develop instruments to measure employee burnout. The Matthews Burnout Scale for Employees is a 50-item self-report measure. The Matthews Burnout Scale for Supervisors is a 50-item scale for use in evaluating employee burnout. Content-based items were tested for construct validity with a group of employees, and their…

Reviewed is the Test of Perceptual Organization, a screening device for difficulties in cognitive functioning, perceptual functioning, perceptual motor ability, and emotional adjustment, which requires that adolescents follow 10 detailed instructions on a street map. (MC)

A set of procedures for validating the Army's Skill Qualification Tests (SQT) are described. Three phases are discussed: (1) the selection of tasks, (2) the selection of specific content for hands-on performance test items, and of written self-evaluation components, and (3) the establishment of content validity of the hands-on component. The task…

The construct validity of measures of reading comprehension was discussed. A word deletion procedure was proposed consistent with a model of comprehension which emphasizes the importance of context. The procedure assures sensitivity to context by allowing only highly constrained words to be deleted and by increasing the information value of…

Cognitive style research is hindered by a variety of poorly described measures and style classifications and the use of small samples. This study described and compared three group measures of impulsivity/reflectivity, internal/external locus of control; and field dependence/independence to determine the distribution characteristics, psychometric…