The main purpose of this study was to illustrate a polytomous IRT-based linking procedure that adjusts for rater variations. Test scores from two administrations of a statewide reading assessment were used. An anchor set of Year 1 students' constructed responses were rescored by Year 2 raters. To adjust for year-to-year rater variation in IRT…

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different modes (modalities) of assigning raters to test items. The impact on total constructed response (c.r.) score, and subsequently on total test score, of assigning a single versus multiple raters to an examination reading of a student's set of c.r. responses was evaluated for several mixed-item…

This paper is the first of a series that will compare estimates of error that arises when state assessments are linked to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Different forms of linkage are discussed. Comparisons are made between whole-sample regression, repeated half-sample replication, bootstrap, and jackknife estimates of the…

This paper examines the efficacy of content-general reading tests used to place students into development courses. It argues that the discipline-generic model of comprehension supporting content-general reading tests is challenged by conclusions emerging from studies of schema theory, construction-integration theory, domain-knowledge theory, and…

The purpose of this study was to determine which equating models are appropriate for the Alabama High School Graduation Examination (AHSGE) by equating two previously administered fall forms for each subject area of the AHSGE and determining whether differences exist in the test score distributions or passing scores resulting from the equating…

The strengths of item-response theory (IRT) are used to examine the degree of information individual test items provide, as well as to investigate how the individual item types contribute to the overall measurement accuracy of the Illinois Goal Assessment Program (IGAP) reading test. Using the graded-response model of Samejima (1969), the amount…

Although minimum competency testing is increasingly popular, there is presently a paucity of information on teachers' and principals' use of and attitudes toward these testing programs. Therefore, a study examined the use and perceived impact of standardized reading tests in Puerto Rico and compared these results to the results of a similar study…

To determine the most accurate group-administered measure of reading achievement, a study explored variations of the cloze and maze procedures with second grade students who were native English speakers or who were being taught English as a second language. Subjects--108 second grade volunteers (1% American Indian, 49% Asian, 39.8% Black, 1%…

The passage dependence of an item refers to the degree to which it is necessary to read the associated passage in order to be able to answer that item correctly. This paper studies the value of obtaining data about passage dependence in the construction of reading comprehension achievement tests. Passage dependence indices were examined in several…

Focusing on the important role that reading diagnostic reports (RDRs) play in the diagnostic/prescriptive process, a study evaluated RDRs at 26 reading centers to gain insights into the commonalities of RDRs at American institutions and to identify new trends in communicating perceived strengths and weaknesses in reading to parents and educators.…

Although informal reading inventories are widely used, they are not without their shortcomings, regardless of whether they have been published commercially or have been constructed by the teacher. There are at least two significant weaknesses in inventories developed by the teacher: (1) passages selected randomly from the graded basal readers that…

A study investigated the reading comprehension levels, aptitude scores, high school graduation status, and years of education of United States Navy recruits and the relationship among these variables. Data for the study were obtained from the monthly computer managed instruction system reports on Navy recruit characteristics, which in turn is…

Basic skills training in the United States Navy has become increasingly important as the quality of the recruit population has declined and the job demands faced by enlisted personnel have expanded. This training is aimed at that group of recruits who cannot read well enough to be successful in service schools. The Navy first initiated programs…

The Testing Center at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) in North Carolina, Educational Testing Service, and the College Board are participating jointly in pilot and field testing Computerized Placement Tests (CPTs). CPTs, which assess communications, reading, and mathematics skills, have the following benefits: (1) students may take the…

A study examined oral and silent reading rates at various levels of difficulty to establish criterion rates for fluent reading at the fourth grade level. Subjects, 27 male and 45 female students from 6 classes in 3 public schools in central Oklahoma who read at an average of more than one year above grade placement, had their oral and silent…