Students rated the quality of the items on a classroom test taken previously and psychometric items were calculated. Results showed that student ratings were related to item difficulty and that better students rated items as less ambiguous. Ambiguity ratings were more highly related to the item-test correlations for better students. (Author/LBH)

Content bias of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) was investigated with dominant English- and dominant Spanish-speaking Mexican American preschoolers. The identified item bias (mostly against the Spanish language group) is discussed in terms of information overload on memory as influenced by language differences in word length and…

The Fluharty Preschool Speech and Language Screening Test was examined in terms of construct validity. Analysis of test results for 260 children (ages three to six) found that results for internal consistency, discriminant analysis, and item difficulty analysis raised questions about the usefulness and appropriateness of many test items.…

Describes measurement problems associated with computer based testing (CBT) programs when they are part of a computer assisted instruction curriculum. Topics discussed include CBT standards; selection of item types; the contamination of items that arise from test design strategies; and the non-equivalence of comparison groups in item analyses. (8…

A mental multiplication test, containing items written in Dutch, Spanish, and Roman numerals was administered to 286 Dutch students. Further instruction was given in either Spanish or Roman, and a subtest combining languages was given. The iterative logit method was found to be useful in detecting biased test items. (GDC)

This study examined three statistical methods for selecting items for mastery tests: (1) pretest-posttest; (2) latent trait; and (3) agreement statistics. The correlation between the latent trait method and agreement statistics, proposed here as an alternative, was substantial. Results for the pretest-posttest method confirmed its reputed…

Presents methodology and results of a performance appraisal research project in a financial organization. Findings indicate that a major part of the success of performance appraisal in increasing productivity may lie in training managers in their use. An example of the specifics of what this training should cover is included. (MBR)

Describes a study that developed criteria for rationally selecting the words to delete in developing a cloze test. The study also tried to determine the extent to which performance on a cloze test with rational deletions differs from that on a cloze test developed by the fixed-ratio deletion procedure. (SED)

This paper presents an assessment instrument developed for use with both deaf-blind children and adults. Designed to assist in individual program planning and to measure progress, the 199 item inventory is organized in six major categories with 19 subsections. It has been field tested using 271 deaf-blind persons. (Author/BS)

This paper presents the development of a new measure of locus of control for adults, the Internal Control Index. Analysis of a field test and a junior college administration indicated an estimated reliability of .84, the presence of a strong principal component, two replicable factors, and evidence for convergent validity. (Author/BW)

Two studies examined the effect of making the correct answer of a multiple choice test item grammatically consistent with the item. American College Testing Assessment experimental items were constructed to investigate grammatical compliance to investigate grammatical compliance for plural-singular and vowel-consonant agreement. Results suggest…

In response to research questioning the utility of the Jesness Inventory in predicting and differentiating delinquency, this study isolated the personality dimensions of 422 adjudicated, noninstitutionalized adolescents by item level factor analysis. The resulting three factors--Mistrust, Social Pessimism, and Hypersensitivity--were compared with…

Asymptotic formulas are derived for the bias in the maximum likelihood estimators of the item parameters in the logistic item response model when examinee abilities are known. Numerical results are given for a typical verbal test for college admission. (Author)

The purpose of this paper is to describe some of the current changes in test development that are taking place because of the availability and capabilities of computers, especially microcomputers. Item banking and test assembly are discussed, and a comprehensive testing system is described. (BW)

On the basis of the characteristics of criterion-referenced tests, the contribution of German research to the development and application of criterion-referenced tests is discussed. (PN)