The test detailed in this document is designed to diagnose learning deficiencies in punctuation for grades three through seven and supplies the teacher with a list of specific teaching concepts which need to be taught to each child. The document contains a test description, directions for administration and scoring, two references, a sample of…

The steps discussed are (a) stating the purpose of the battery, (b) specifying performance objectives, (c) generating an item pool, (d) item analysis, (e) item selection, (f) determining cut-off scores, and (g) validating the battery. (MP)

The utility of setting standards for educational decisions, even though those standards may be somewhat arbitrary, is defended in this response to Glass's article (TM 504 031). (JKS)

Outlines a type of lesson planning that serves to help teachers evaluate their success through the use of criterion testing for given objectives. Three key components of the system include a diagnostic pretest, a set of lesson plan cards, and a content outline. (JEG)

Investigates the effectiveness of an instructional unit on donor phlebotomy consisting of three modules based on a videotape and three booklets. A separate-sample pre-test/post-test design was used; student appraisal data also were collected for the purpose of revising and improving these materials. (Author/VT)

Two techniques for writing achievement test items to accompany instructional materials are contrasted: writing items from statements of instructional objectives, and writing items from semi-automated rules for transforming instructional statements. Both systems resulted in about the same number of faulty items. (Author/JKS)

Costly state assessment programs present a need for re-appraisal of their function and resulting impact on state programs and individual educational environments. (RAO)

Presents an overview of the revitalized emphasis on individualized instruction and competency based education as a means extending existing on-campus college and university programs to adult students in an off-campus format, and discusses current operating models of individualized instruction. (Author)

More precise conception of the functions and limitations of prediction, validation, construct validity, and criterion referenced tests will not solve the problems which must be faced in using tests. It will not repel many of the current attacks on testing. But it should enable test specialists to think more clearly about some of those problems.…

Describes a technique for measuring reliability (the consistency of decision making across repeated test administrations) and validity (the accuracy of decision making between administration of a reading test and administration of a criterion measure) and gives an example of its use. (JM)

This paper presents an algorithm for determining the number of items to measure each objective in a criterion-referenced test when testing time is fixed and when the objectives vary in their levels of importance, reliability, and validity. Results of four special applications of the algorithm are presented. (BS)

Criticizes Robert Slavin's "best evidence" rejection of mastery learning research for being potentially biased, highly subjective, and misleading. Apparently, Slavin threw out studies of less than four weeks' duration, discounted certain nonclassroom results achieved by teachers, and rejected studies not using standardized,…

Identifies a number of practical decisions that must be made when designing and developing criterion referenced tests as part of a larger system of computer assisted instruction. The topics discussed include test construction, test security, item presentation, and response capturing and scoring. (19 references) (CLB)

Spearman correlations were computed between item response theory-derived information functions (IIFs) and four conventional item discrimination indices: phi-coefficient; B-index; phi/phi max; and agreement statistic. Correlations between the phi-coefficient and the IIFs were very high. Data were taken from a real estate licensing test. (Author/GDC)