The number of rating items preferred by students on an instructional evaluation instrument was investigated. The median length preferred was 25 items. (Author/GK)

The effectiveness of a Likert-scale and three paired-choice presentation formats in discriminating among parents' preferences for curriculum elements were compared. Paired-choice formats gave more reliable discriminations which increased with stimulus specificity. Similarities and differences in preference orderings are discussed. (Author/CM)

Multiple matrix sampling of items and examinees was applied to an 18-item rank order instrument administered to a randomly assigned group and compared to the ordering and ranking of all items by control subjects. High correlations between ranks suggest the methodology may viably reduce respondent effort on long rank ordering tasks. (Author/CM)

Starting from the premise that the assessment of second language learners' competence is a must at several points during the learning process, discusses the usefulness of laboratory testing. Argues that it allows for standardized testing, facility of test administration, easy scoring, objective measures, reliability and validity of results. (MES)

Number right and elimination scores were analyzed on a college level mathematics exam assembled from pretest data. Anxiety measures were administered along with the experimental forms to undergraduates. Results suggest that neither test scores nor attitudes are influenced by item order knowledge thereof, or anxiety level. (Author/GK)

Describes types of tests, types of student responses required, ways to interpret tests, and the major test developers. (WD)

Explored the use of film in measuring learning in family life classes. When films were used to teach communication processes, student test performance was equivalent to traditional testing. Results indicate the use of films for simulation has implications for the potential transfer of concepts to life situations. (Author/JAC)

Control groups' scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test-Verbal were compared to scores of secondary school students who were exposed to their school's special test preparation programs. Special preparation resulted in an overall difference of eight points on the total score, corresponding to one additional correctly answered item. (Author/GDC)

The concurrent validity of Spanish versions of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 and the Personality Assessment Inventory (L. Morey, 1991) was studied with 105 Hispanic patients using a revised Spanish version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (L. Robins and others, 1981) as the criterion measure. Results suggest that both…

Findings from a study involving 69 multiracial and multiethnic women show that respondents' racial identification varies considerably across question formats and that persons of mixed heritage prefer a racial identification question that provides them the opportunity to acknowledge their multiracial backgrounds. Many respondents also wanted to…

Conceptual, practical, and logistical issues in the development of science performance assessments (SPAs) are discussed. The conceptual framework identifies task, response format, and scoring system as components, and conceives of SPAs as tasks that attempt to recreate conditions in which scientists work. Developing SPAs is a sophisticated effort…

Final-year Ontario medical students (n=88) took a 4-station objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) using standardized patients and involving decisions to forgo life-sustaining treatment. Performance was scored on a checklist of behaviors unique to each case. Results indicated that because of low reliability, the OSCE is not a feasible…

The New Japanese version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was administered twice to 200 Japanese female college students to verify the equivalence of the computer- and booklet-administered formats. For four scales, scores from the computer version were statistically significantly higher than those from the booklet…

Discusses how responses to multiple-choice items could be interpreted, demonstrates how responses on constructed-response items can be analyzed, and examines interactions between item characteristics and student responses. Uses information, specifically items and student responses, from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study…

Examined the performance of Irish students on multiple-choice, short-answer, and extended-response item sets from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study to determine whether Ireland's relative rank among the more than 40 countries involved remained stable. Findings provide additional evidence that comparing student achievement…