Consistent with prior research, expected performance on a midterm examination decreased for 48 college students as the test approached in time, as did grade-level goal and perceived adequacy of effort, although indices of goal value and of motivation to achieve the goal remained constant. Changes were generally monotonic across three occasions.…

Cut scores, quartile ranking, sample size, and overall classification scheme were studied as personnel selection procedures in two samples. The first was 120 simulated observations of employee scores based on actual selection procedures for applicants for administrative assistant positions. The other sample was composed of test results for 73…

A phenomenon previously noted in prior prediction of mathematics scores on the Content Mastery Examinations for Educators (CMEE) of the National Teacher Examinations Core Battery subtests of General Knowledge (NTE-GK) and Communication Skills (NTE-CS) was investigated. Prior research with 1991-1992 data sets had established an equation for the…

Test specifications dictate the kind of content that should be included on each form of an examination, and the relative weight that each content domain should contribute to the determination of examinees' test scores by specifying the proportion of items to be included in each content area. This paper addresses a step in the development of…

Marks made by students on test item booklets were analyzed as a clue to better understanding of the metacognitive strategies employed during the completion of a 100-question multiple-choice final examination. Test item booklets of 56 undergraduates were scrutinized for the frequency of the following item markings; (1) no markings at all; (2)…

Combining student scores to form subtotals and finally a total score to determine a grade is discussed. The composite score reached by combining measures or subtotals is only valid when the scores are combined so that the actual weight of each measure or subtotal in the total score is the same as the intended weight. Three types of variability…

This study evaluated the relative merits of the more rigid Basic Studies Program and the more flexible General Education Program in the College of Education at Temple University in terms of the academic achievement of students and scores on the National Teacher Examinations (NTE). The sample consisted of 503 students in the Basic Studies Program…

A mixed modal study was conducted that compared the results of Mississippi Biology subject area mean scores of students that used 4X4 block, A/B block, and traditional year-long schedules in large, medium, and small-sized schools. This research also explored data about whether schedule configurations allow sufficient time for students to construct…

This paper illustrates a method to study rater severity across exam administrations. A multi-facet Rasch model defined the ratings as being dominated by four facets: examinee ability, rater severity, project difficulty, and task difficulty. Ten years of data from administrations of a histotechnology performance assessment were pooled and analyzed…

Stochastic models are developed in this article to examine the rate of test misgrading in educational and psychological measurement. The estimation of inadvertent grading errors can serve as a basis for quality control in measurement. Limitations of traditional Poisson models have been reviewed to highlight the need to introduce new models using…

In two experiments involving 260 college students, the generation effect, which occurs when individuals remember materials they have generated better than materials generated by others, was studied. Results support the generation effect and indicate that it occurs in a natural setting but only for test items targeted by generating students. (SLD)

Assessed accuracy of students' preexamination expectancies and postexamination grade evaluations, gender differences in expectations, and the role of experience in expectations with 131 college students. Male students overestimated their grades more than did female students, but only for one of the two courses studied. (SLD)

This study examined the impact of grade repetition or retention on the subsequent academic performance of students in rural and urban areas in northeast Tennessee. A total of 40 students who were retained in grades 3 or 5 during the 1985-1986 school year, and 70 students who were not retained, completed the Stanford Achievement Test yearly between…

The role of the response probability convention in reporting results from the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey is explored, using interviews with more than 26,000 adults and young adults. In order to summarize what respondents of a particular proficiency can do, it is convenient to adopt a convention for a sufficient response probability that…

This overview of the Alaska system for test development, scoring, and reporting explored differences and similarities between norm-referenced and standards-based tests. The current Alaska testing program is based on legislation passed in 1997 and 1998, and is designed to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Legislation. In…